By Peter Saturday
Acording to Oxford Advanced Learners’ Dictionary, Culture is defined as “the customs and beliefs, art, way of life and organization of a particular country, group or a people”.
This means that any organized society, State, community or a group of people traceable to their ancestral origin have a “culture” that distinguishes them from others. The assertion above gives credence to the fact that Akwa Ibom Community, Abuja also known as “Mboho Akwa Ibom - Abuja” has a culture traceable to the Akwa Ibom State/people as well as our unique tribes linked to our ancestries. The three major ethic groups in Akwa Ibom State that form the tripod are: the Ibibio, Annang and Oro. We also have the Ekid and a couple of other ethic nationalities with their unique cultures all living in a "United State of Akwa Ibom".
Significantly, town union in contemporary times has became a critical instrument in building bridges of brotherliness, fostering unity and advancing interests among natives living in foreign lands. Across ethnic nationalities, this unit has also positioned itself as a formidable tool in promoting development at the grassroot and bridging the information gap between or among the home-based folks.
It is on this premise that Akwa Ibom community in Abuja under the visionary and goal-oriented leadership of Barr. Aniefiok Ibah decides to bring together all sons and daughters of Akwa Ibom state residents in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and indeed the 19 Northern states to converge on Abuja for the Cultural Fiesta scheduled for Saturday, 23rd November 2019 at the expansive Jabi Lake.
Remarkably, this is the first of its kind since creation of this Community in 1988, just a year after the birth of Akwa Ibom state under Gen. Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida regime.
Our uniqueness as people of the Land of Promise is exemplified in our way of life. Our culture is our identity. It is our pride and common heritage. It defines who we are and distinguished us from the other race in the world. Like Stephen R. Covey noted, strength lies in differences, not in similarities. Our strength lies on the riches encoded in our delicacies manifestly represented in our indigenous delicacies including: ekpang nkukwo, afere edikang ikong, affang, editan, ataama ye fufu or garri, anyand ekpang, edita iwa, affia efere ye usung ikpong, utuk mboro and others too numerous to mention. Our strength is exhibited in the mode of dressing that makes us the real Akwa Ibom people of this world. Our language, mode of greeting, farming methods, marriage rites, banking system, judicial system, traditional rulership/stool, ballad, folklores, festivals, music, our naming systems, performance, literature, myths, norms, religious/political/economic/educational/cultural/belief systems and many others distinctively define us.
This fiesta with the theme “Celebrating The Culture That Unites Us” under the Chairmanship of Barr Ekpo Nta (Former ICPC Chairman) will among other things showcase our irresistible cultural dance, parade, carnival floats, food exhibition/testing, unveiling of Akwa Ibom cultural symbol, folklores among others. Some of our Illustrious sons, daughters, in-laws and friends of Akwa Ibom State within and outside Abuja who have distinguished themselves through their professions will be celebrated and presented with Awards of Excellence. It will also be a rally point to strengthen the bond of unity, friendship and oneness that bind us. Beyond that, this fiesta will be a reunion of some sort to old time friends who have for long had a warmth embrace.
This is coming at a time when the campaign for the promotion of indigenous culture has more than ever been amplified, even as our identity as a people is seriously grasping for breath under the overwhelming suffocation of Western culture.
Today, it is more fashionable to consume foods from foreign countries, canned, bottled or garnished with preservatives with its health implications than to eat our indigenous and highly nutritious foods the nature has graciously blessed us with. It is significant to note that our fore fathers lived longer with little or no western medical attention because they survived on our indigenous foods, green leaves, locally made drinks and alternative medicine which it efficacy is still available to those who patronizes it. Unfortunately, some of Our people finds fulfillment in identifying with foreign dress codes than our unique ways of expressing ourselves through our cultural dressing. It is seen as a symbol of high intellectual pedigree when our children communicate with foreign languages right in our homes while our unique Akwa Ibom language suffers undue relegation. Its amount to cultural betrayal to see our parents giving their children and wards English or foreign names at the detriment of our traditional names that could convey same or best meanings. It is unpatriotic to see children who cannot mention the names of their grand parents or lack knowledge of their ancestry perhaps not taught by their parents. Nowadays, It is common that majority of our brothers/sisters or leaders in public offices undermine the efficacious prowess of our mother tongue in an attempt to exchange salutations or pleasantries; “ Ette or Mma amesiere” in our indigenous language and what you get as reply is “good morning too or how may I help you?” all in English language. There are many versions and circumstances of such scenario.
These are all glaring indices that we owe ourselves a duty of not only encouraging communication in indigenous language(s) at our various homes and family gatherings, but imparting the knowledge of our culture and tradition on younger generations.
The concomitant effect of abdicating this responsibility places our civilization at the pedestal of extinction. According to Wikipedia, about 50 and 90 percent of 7000 languages currently spoken across the world will become extinct by the year 2100. Interestingly, Nigeria, India, Brazil, Mexico, Australia, Indonesia, Guinea and Cameroon rank among the eight countries incubating languages likely to suffer a devastating death in no distant future. This cannot be extricated from the imperialistic stifling of our heritage language, aided by the declining choice of our people to retain their indigenous language as their first language and other anti cultural practices.
Obviously, the theme of this maiden fiesta is not only apt but timely. It will be a wakeup call to all other ethnic divides across our country Nigeria and beyond for an arisen consciousness to explore all avenues to put their culture and tradition at the front burner in their daily dialogue. This can be a recipe to the insecurity ravaging some states in Nigeria and beyond. The power to tell our own story is domiciled in our tongue. Leaving our story untold is a recipe for distortion, half truth, neocolonialism, propaganda and outright lies. With the power of culture, we can tell our story. Shannon L. Alder said, “One of the greatest regrets in life is being what others would want you to be, rather than being yourself”. Equally, a 20th Century phenomenon - James Aggrey warned “ whoever is not proud of his colour is not fit to live”. We must not resign to superfluous opinions to tell the story of the good people of Akwa Ibom anywhere in the globe.
Undeniably, Akwa Ibom people are known for industriousness, creativity, can-do spirit, humility, patience, ambitiousness, penchant for excellence and abiding faith in God to take them to their land of promise to fulfillment. We have consistently been at the vanguard of making meaningful contributions to the socio-economic development of our great country, Nigeria. As the highest crude oil producing state in Nigeria, Akwa Ibom has for long witnessed unprecedented calm and peace even at the heat of hostility of militancy in the Niger Delta region. In academia, entertainment, sports, politics, tourism and indeed all areas of human endeavour, our dear state has remained a leading light. This accounts to why this fiesta has presented us a veritable platform to honour few of these illustrious sons and daughters with Awards of Excellence who have raised the flag high in their various fields of calling.
Undoubtedly, our hospitality, shoulder of love and friendship are some of the unique attributes that make us an outstanding people. Akwa Ibom Community in Abuja under the leadership of Barr. Aniefiok Ibah has remained resolute in this spirit by ensuring that the welfare of members remains paramount in its agenda. This is not unconnected to the support his administration has received from the Board of Trustees, Stakeholders and all members of the Community. The founding members of the Community deserves commendations for their foresight and ingenuity. Through our network of friends within and outside the fold, we have linked members to employment opportunities and contract awards in a bid to deliver in our core objective.
Through lobbying and advocacy to advance public and government policies, Akwa Ibom community in Abuja has also secured an appreciable representation at key government agencies at state and federal level. Without any iota of doubt, the upcoming fiesta which will have in attendance the Executive Governor of our dear State, His Excellency, Mr. Udom Emmanuel as the Special Guest of Honour, the FCT Minister - Muhammed Musa Bello as Co-host and members of the National Assembly within and outside Akwa Ibom State will be a fertile ground for us to intimate the world of the numerous achievements we have recorded over the years, our limitations and strategies being put in place to surmount them. Members of the public are hereby invited to join us at the fiesta.
Top in the Community’s agenda is the completion of the 9 storey Ibom Bowl House at the Jahi District of Abuja, for which building plan has been approved by the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) in readiness for the commencement of construction work by the contractors in expectation of other interested investors. This is in addition to other lofty ideas Akwa Ibom Community, Abuja is currently piloting.
The litany of success we have accomplished wouldn’t have been possible without the co-operation and active participation of members who have continually availed us their unalloyed support. The opportunity of this fiesta is indeed a new dawn for all Akwa Ibom sons and daughters all over the world to raise their heads high with pride for the privilege of telling our story by ourselves.
Consequently, Parents, guardians, religious houses/leaders, Government, development partners, Leaders of thought, Other Community development Associations, Cultural Groups/Commissions, Diaspora Affairs Commission, Embassies, National Assembly and all critical stakeholders in the information, Cultural and attitudinal Re-orientation/preservation Advocacy Groups is admonished to wake up to this challenge and re-strategize on their mandates with regards to cultural preservation even as we collectively commit and thinker avenues of celebrating the culture that unites us.
Ibibio isongooo
Annang mma
Ojei ojei Akpakip oro
Ekid idiodiongooo
Peter Saturday is also the Senior Special Adviser, Media & Strategy to the President, Akwa Ibom Community, Abuja
