By Akintunde Jacobs, Akure
The Ondo State Coordinator of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Victoria Nnenna Ani, has urged Nigerian parents to embark on proper inculcation of indigenous languages and native culture in their children to draw them away from western influences.
Ani, who is also a traditional title holder of ‘Lolo Odibeeze’ from the heart of Igboland, Enugu State, gave the charge at the weekend while declaring open the Cultural Carnival for the 2021 Batch ‘B’ (Stream II) corps members posted to Ondo State.
The Ondo state NYSC coordinator, who stressed the need for parents to place priority on teaching their children indigenous languages said, “Exposing or showcasing our rich cultural heritage to the outside world will earn us deserved respect on the global community.”
While berating Nigerian youths for not showing enough seriousness at promoting their cultural values, Ani said, “it saddens my heart that a country of over 200 million people consisting of well loved and creative youths are not well disposed to promoting their respective cultural diversity.
“My dear amazing children with lots of potentials, we need to reawaken and sustain our interest in the culture that our creator has bestowed on us. Let us set our priorities right so that we would have a legacy to bequeath to our unborn generations.
“Let us all go back to our roots like a prodigal son, having realised his folly, decided to return to his people. We need to act likewise so that what we care less about in time past will come back to us.
“On this note, I want to appeal to all parents both at home and in diaspora to return to teaching their children indigenous language as a prelude to reclaiming our identity that civilisation has taken from us. Nigeria is blessed with outstanding cultural heritage which people from other climes are expending huge financial resources to research into.
“As cultural ambassadors of the noble Scheme, go out there and tell your various host communities that our unity and integration can only be achieved if we sincerely identify with our roots and cultures.”
According to her, “If parents do not imbibe the culture of speaking indigenous languages to their children, the incursion of various foreign cultures through different media will continue to take its toll on our local languages, where people will no more be proud of what is Nigerian.”