By DADA AYOKHAI
The Oredo federal constituency’s representative in the House of Reps, Hon Esosa Iyawe has called on parents to remember that the preservation of their cultural heritage lies with them and urged them to do more before a whole community of people and what they represented disappears into oblivion.
He squarely blames parents for not doing enough to ensure that their children and wards speak their native dialects and also emphasized the possibility of such dialects going into extinction.
Hon Iyawe made the statement during a cultural orientation and sensitization program organized by his office for senior secondary students in collaboration with the National Institute for Cultural Orientation in Oredo Local Government in Benin,.
Hon Iyawe stressed that Nigeria’s cultural diversity and tribes make it imperative for every parent to pass on the torch of cultural heritage from one generation to the other.
Hon Iyawe explained that the annual quiz competition is essential to keep the youths in tune with their cultural milieu and also prevent it from going into extinction.
According to him, the annual competition is organised along the lines of debates, hairdressing, music, cultural parades and other activities to preserve and sustain the Oredo culture.
Hon Iyawe also donated the sum of N100,000 to each of the nine schools that participated in the competition to encourage and sustain the tempo of cultural renewal among the students
Oredo Girls Secondary School secured the first position in the cultural parade, followed by the New Era College and the Akenzua Secondary School respectively
In the quiz segment, Idia College emerged top, followed by New Era College and Edo College in the second and third positions
Among the nine schools in the Oredo constituency that participated in the competition were Oba Akenzua Secondary School, New Era College, Oredo Girls Secondary School, Ogbe Secondary School, Iyekogba Secondary School, Edokpolo Grammar School, and Imaguero Secondary School.
He added that it was quite disheartening how we have allowed modern civilization, culture and technology to destroy the lives of our children, leading them to forget their roots which includes the whole gamut of dressing, languages, hairdo, work ethics, entertainment, and so on
Hon Iyawe suggested that the time has come for parents to halt this “madness” before our children are stripped of their heritage.
On a personal level, he said he initiated a cultural quiz competition among schools in his constituency to promote local culture and languages.
The competition is in its second edition, with his primary concern being to preserve the Oredo cultural heritage for the youths.
