The coordinator of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, in Ondo State, Mrs. Victoria Nnenna Ani, has berated Nigerian youths for not showing enough seriousness at promoting the nation’s cultural values.
Ani made her remarks on Saturday while declaring open the Cultural Carnival for the 2021 Batch ‘B’ (Stream II) corps members posted to Ondo State.
She said exposing or showcasing the nation’s rich cultural heritage to the outside world would earn the country the deserved respect on the global community.
Said she: “Gentlemen corps members, it saddens my heart that a country of over 200 million people consisting of well loved and creative youths are not well disposed to promoting their respective cultural diversity.
“My dear amazing children with lots of potentials, we need to reawaken and sustain our interest in the culture that our creator has bestowed on us. Let us set our priorities right so that we would have a legacy to bequeath to our unborn generations.”
She added: “Let us all go back to our roots like a prodigal son, having realised his folly, decided to return to his people. We need to act likewise so that what we care less about in time past will come back to us.
“On this note, I want to appeal to all parents both at home and in diaspora to return to teaching their children indigenous language as a prelude to reclaiming our identity that civilisation has taken from us. Nigeria is blessed with outstanding cultural heritage which people from other climes are expending huge financial resources to research into.
“Of fact, no nation is an island on her own and cross fertilisation and even exchange of cultural diversity is encouraged but we need to tell the world that we are extremely proud of our culture and we are ready to protect it with all our resources” she said.
The cultural carnival witnessed display of some cultural identities of some ethnic nationalities of Nigeria by all the ten platoons.
Number 5 platoon that showcased Igbo culture came first with 85% and the second position with display of Tiv culture went to number 6 platoon which garnered 82.5% while number 2 platoon with Hausa presentation with 78% came third.
