Excitement, as FCT community Revives, Celebrates Culture
Paschal Emeka, Abuja
The premises of Government Secondary School in Kurudu, a Gwandara community in Abuja Area Municipal Council (AMAC), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was agog as the multitudes joined the indigenes of Kurudu to revive and celebrate their agelong and rich cultural festival over the weekend.
The event which attracted people from all walks of life, had arrays of different cultural and musical displays, ranging from masquerades to indigenous songs.
The occasion which was celebrated for the first time by the original inhabitants of the Kurudu community was chaired by former AMAC chairman, Alhaji Abdulahi Adamu (Candido).
In an interview with our correspondent, Candido who was highly overwhelmed with the quality of cultural displays in attendance, hailed the organisers of the occasion and called on other tribes to emulate the indigenes of Kurudu.
He added that the revival of the culture will go a long way to to not only promote unity, love and peace, but also enable the youths to trace their origin and continue to promote their cultural heritage.
While commending village head (Asugeri) of Kurudu, Alhaji Haliru Bako, his cabinet members and those who contributed to the success of the event, Candido noted that going into extinction of any tribe’s culture is the beginning of going into extinction of such tribe.
He however ueged the National Assembly to come up with a bill which will reactivate Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage.
He pointed out that culture unites people from different ethnicities, as it enable tribes to learn each others way of life.
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 promotion of culture is idolatry, even as he informed that culture is a way of life of a particular people.
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 promote cultural heritage.
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.
An 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 due to the large turnout of people at the occasion, the event, according to him 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 also called for 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.
