By Ekuson Nw’Ogbunka Abuja
The premises of Government Secondary School in Kurudu, a Gwandara community in Abuja the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), wasn’t only agog, but couldn’t also contain the multitude of the people who came to do feast for their eyes, as the indigenes celebrated and revived their agelong and rich culture on Saturday.
The event had different cultural and musical displays, ranging from masquerades to native songs in the audience’s entertainment. People from all nooks and crannies were in attendance.
The occasion, which was celebrated for the first time by the original inhabitants of the Kurudu community, was chaired by former Abuja Municipal Area Councils (AMAC) chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu (Candido), a Gwandara by birth.
In an interview with our correspondent, Candido, who was highly overwhelmed with the quality of the cultural display in attendance, hailed the planners of the occasion and called on other tribes to emulate the indigenes of Kurudu, saying that the revival of culture will go a long way to not only promote unity, love and peace, but also enable the youths to trace their origins and continue to promote culture.
Still hailing the village head (Asugeri) of Kurudu, Alhaji Haliru Bako, his cabinet members, and those who contributed to the success of the event, Candido however noted that going into extinction of any tribe’s culture is the beginning of going into extinction of such tribe. He however drew the attention of legislators to culture, urging them to come up with a Bill to be passed into law which will reactivate Nigeria’s rich and cultures.
He went further to say that culture unites people from different ethnicities, saying that each tribe will learn each other’s culture.
Similarly, a former council secretary in AMAC, Honourable Idris Musa Karshi said that promotion and revival of culture would go a long way to promote orderliness. He faulted the belief by some people that the promotion of culture is idolatry, even as he informed that culture is a way of life of a particular people. To that, Idris Musa Karshi called for the revival of culture.
The chairman of Gwandara Association in the FCT (Gwandeka), Adamu Nura Muhammad also called on those in authority and legislators to as a matter of importance encourage culture. He said that if encouraged, Nigeria’s rich culture, like that of Gwandara, that was being showcased would attract tourists, which in the other hand would go a long way to attract foreign exchange which, according to him would boost the economy. He spoke at length on the importance of revival and encouragement of culture.
AMAC chairmanship aspirant, Honourable Tunisia Karmo who was equally happy over the development said that if he becomes AMAC chairman, as a Grade man, he will make celebration, yearly event in the area council, even as he similarly stated that culture was a way of people’s lives. Tunisia Karmo however called for rekindling of culture in the nation’s capital and Nigeria in general.
Earlier in an interview, the village head (Asugeri) of Kurudu, Alhaji Haliru Bako said that due to the large turnout of people at the occasion, the event would be celebrated yearly. Bako said that an occasional of that kind would make the youths know their culture and pass it to their children.
Bako therefore also called for the government’s encouragement, which if done, according to him would go a long way to revive the culture. On the benefits of revival of culture, he said that it would make the youths know and trace their origin and also know their cultural heritage. He went further to say that it promotes unity, love, and business, among others.
“Culture is a way of people’s lives and shouldn’t be treated with neglect. If you forget your culture, then you have certainly forgotten yourself,” he stated.
Masquerades entertain the audience at the event