CULTURE, IMPORTANT IN BUILDING A GREAT AND PEACEFUL SOCIETY – DELTA SPEAKER.

By Tobouke Jemine

“Cultural events have enormous significance in forging social cohesion, promoting inclusivity, and peace building” — Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Dennis Guwor.

The above statement is part of the speech the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Guwor Emomotimi Dennis delivered on the 17th of April, 2024, at Amaseikumor Festival in Oporoza Town, Gbaramatu Kingdom, Delta State. And the Honourable Speaker has done applaudable justice to the importance of cultural festivals with those words.

Cultural festivals like Amaseikumo should be dear to our hearts; for they are essential to the progress and beauty of any community. They bring huge growth and tremendous development to society.When cultural events like Amaseikumo are periodically held, the cultural wealth of that society will never go bankrupt.

Cultural festivals define and explain the thoughts, philosophies, culture, customes, beliefs, skills and talents of a people. And this fact was obvious with the just concluded Amaseikumo Festival,  where the cultural riches of Gbaramatu Kingdom were showcased; where the culinary skills, wrestling prowess, thrilling dance steps of Gbaramatu Kingdom were displayed before the attendees and the wider world.

Annual cultural celebrations like the Amaseikumo Festival point us to the profound importance of cultural events providing opportunity for people from different cultures and backgrounds to meet, interact, socialize, build relationships, learn and appreciate the cultural diversities around them. And in a multi-ethnic society like Nigeria, much of this reality is needed to encourage unity in diversity and unity of purpose.

Celebrating our rich cultural heritage provides solid grounds for the present and the generations next to learn their cultural heritage, which is essential for any human community that must preserve its cultural relevance through the ages. That’s why having kids perform in cultural events is mandatory.

Cultural celebrations like Amaseikumo also boost the local economy. They are opportunities for smart entrepreneurs to increase their income and boost their businesses. I’m sure the daily profits of businesses tripled especially in Oporoza Town, and those in the business of marine transportation also made it big with the Amaseikumo Festival, due to the large influx of people to Oporoza.

Truly, the advantages and benefits that come with a well-packaged cultural festival are enormous; we should aim to see them realized across Coastal Niger Delta.

Let’s continue to extend our cultural gratitude to the Agadagba of Gbaramatu Kingdom, His Royal Majesty Oboro Gbaraun II, Chief Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo, High Chief Kestin Pondi and all the other cultural hands that made this year’s edition of Amaseikumo Festival a success. God bless their cultural patriotism.

And let’s continue to expand our thinking about Amaseikumo Festival; let’s aim at the infrastructural development Gbaramatu Kingdom can experience through the Amaseikumo Festival; let’s continue to explore the tourism potentials of Amaseikumo Festival; let’s not stop seeing the job and business opportunities that are hidden in Amaseikumo Festival, and let’s keep striving for that day when Amaseikumo Festival will be one of the greatest platforms for talents discovery and promotion across Coastal Niger Delta.

In full confidence, I wish to state that with the calibre of dignitaries and the huge presence of cultural enthusiasts at the just concluded edition, one can say that the Coast of Amaseikumo Festival is getting larger, better and greater. Surely, more positive possibilities will be experience come the 2025 edition.