University lecturers have separately said that the revival of cultural values is a panacea to some of the problems confronting the country as a result of moral decadence.
The lecturers spoke while answering questions from reporters at the celebration of Kalorgu Day Cultural Festival in Kaltungo, Gombe State.
They said “We can revive our culture with education, enlightenment, community involvement and celebrating cultural traditions by sharing knowledge, encouraging participation in cultural practices and promoting arts and crafts.”
A lecturer in the Department of History and Strategic Studies Professor Sadiq B James said “Today globalization is conquering our culture, we are emulating western culture and modernisation, which distance our children and young ones from their cultural heritage.”
James said “Our young ones can’t speak our language, they don’t know their roots where there grandfathers and fathers comes from, but we are addressing the difference through organizing annual cultural festivals, where we visited the roots of our ancestors, we eat the type of food they ate in the past.
“We attend the festivals with our children which gives them the opportunity to see for themselves how their grandfathers lived, their culture, food and traditions”
Another lecturer in Gombe State University Professor Wilson Dan Bature said “Our vision is to see a cultural renaissance in their communities because of its ability to restore our moral values, which can in turn help in solving many of the problems whether it is in the area of insecurity, job creation or loss of moral values.”
He said giving the people of the host communities the opportunity to showcase their cultural heritage is a sure way to reconnect them to their roots, and this in turn helps to restore their moral values and self worth, which is a sure recipe for avoiding anti-social activities and criminal tendencies.
The Deputy Director Research and Publications National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Jos, Yusuf Goni Lowondo said “By hosting a festival, we are encouraging our Communities to harness and take advantage of this opportunity with huge potentials for their teeming youths and it connect the younger ones to their roots.
“It is also hoped that the event will strengthen inter-community relationship,” he said, adding that the gatherings recognized that communities are unique by their culture, which holds the key to identity, oneness, integration, growth and ultimately development, hence the need for the Host Community Day.
The Executive Chairman of Kaltungo Local Government Council, Honorable (Dr.) Iliya Suleiman (Togor Yamban Kaltungo), commended the organizers for their dedication to preserving and promoting the community’s cultural identity.
He lauded the festival’s impact on strengthening bonds, fostering unity, and contributing to the development of the community, the local government, and Gombe State at large.
The Annual Kalorgu Day is a vibrant cultural festival celebrated by the people of Kalorgu in Kaltungo. The day brings together sons and daughters of Kalorgu to celebrate their rich cultural heritage and foster unity within the community.
The celebration featured captivating cultural displays, exhibitions, and performances by various cultural troupes from across the region.
