Runsewe tasks Nigerian youths on culture rebirth

Runsewe tasks Nigerian youths on culture rebirth

As the custodian of the nation’s culture and the head of institution of government saddled with the responsibility of popularising the cherished values, the National Council for Arts and Culture, NCAC, is deeply disturbed by alarming rate at which our culture is being eroded and replaced with alien practices.

Given this worrisome trend, the Director General of NCAC,
Otunba Segun Runsewe gathered Nigerian youths for a cultural sensitisation programme, at Sheraton Hotel and Towers Abuja.

The theme of the programme was, ‘Nigerian youths and Nation Building’.

The Director General noted that youths are the greatest assets and the driving force of the development of any nation given their resourcefulness, dynamism and vigour.

He added : “If the youths are allowed to derail, internalise the wrong attitudes and orientation that cannot engender national development, the youths can also become the nation’s most disturbing liability.”

Runsewe revealed that NCAC is at the forefront of engaging the Nigerian youths in its programmes, with a view to catching them young, and procreating cultural norms, values, as well as national ethics.

He said : “With increase in globalisation, foreign values have been popularised and promoted above our cherished values, to the level that transgenderism, same sex marriage, plaiting of hair by our young men are fast gaining ground in the society, hence the need for a total cultural rebirth among the youths.”

The DG urged the youths to be part of efforts aimed at building a new Nigeria, by inculcating traditional values to remain the building blocks of a greater Nigerian nation that will be internally secured, socially stabled and economically prosperous.

Speaking at the occasion, the Honorable Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, who was the Special Guest of Honour, thanked NCAC for setting the pace in collective drive towards a cultural rebirth for Nigerian youths, given the alarming rate at which our youths are embracing bizarre social practices alien to our culture.

She reiterated the need for parents to redouble their efforts as gate keepers for our youths to ensure that children receive proper upbringing as enshrined in our core values as leaders of tomorrow.

Dame Tallen who maintained that the current security challenges in our society today and other prevailing social vices are direct disfunctional values therefore enjoined youths to shun cultism, gender based violence and other vices. The youths should become ambassadors of change by making a positive difference.

She advocated the urgent need to establish Culture Clubs in all secondary schools within the Federal Capital Territory and across the nation to drive home the sensitization programme or cultural rebirth to the doorsteps of youths in the country.

The keynote speaker and other discussants sensitised the youths on the damaging effects of negative attitudes and behaviours to themselves and the society and how values can engender individual and national development.

There were drama presentations from participating schools highlighting various social vices among the youths, ranging from drug addiction, prostitution, internet fraud and their consequences.
The need for religious tolorance and unity among various ethnic groups was also showcased by the students.

Participants at the one-day sensitisation programme were drawn from various public and private secondary schools within the FCT, private sector and stakeholders in Arts and Culture sector.

Highpoint of the day was the presentation of Certificates and Plaques to participating schools and their teachers by the Hon. Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Dame Pauline Tallen.

• The Director General, Nation Council for Arts and Culture, Otunba Segun Runsewe and the minister for Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen in a discussion during the programme

The Minister for Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen making presentation to one of the participating schools