Archshop Emmanuel Chukwuman of Enugu Archdiocese Anglican Communion has warned that any tribe that lose its culture has lost its identity.
Chukwuma gave the warning in Nsukka on Friday at University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) while delivering a lecture titled “Culture Revival in a Multi-ethnic Society” during the university’s 1st Cultural carnival.
The carnival was organised by UNN Institute of Africa studies in collaboration with UNN business School, Enugu campus.
He said hence culture was people way of life, then when people lose their cultural, they lost their identity, root, language and everything about them.
“There is no society without culture and also no culture without society, people are being identified all over the world through their culture.
“people’s culture is their identity and when they lose their cultural they lose their identity,” he said.
The archbishop expressed concern that language that is the driver of culture in some tribes were gradually going into extinction because some parents could no longer communicate with their children in native language.
“It’s unfortunate and unbelievable that some parents prefer to communicate with their children in English language instead of their native language.
“This is mostly among people of Igbo extraction where some think that their children being flunt in English language make them intelligent.
“It’s indisputable that any child who can’t speak his mother tongue does not know anything about the culture of people,” he said.
Chukwuma said it was because people where no longer abreast of their values and cultural that some people commit suicide not knowing they have committed sin against God and humanity.
“No matter the level of poverty or unemployment youths should resist the temptation of committing suicide as is not only a cultural taboo but sin against God.
He however urged people to remove all forms of obnoxious practicies in their culture that is inhuman.
In his welcome address, Prof. Charles Igwe, the Vice Chancellor of UNN said that, “the theme of the events is timely and highly commendable in the face of the numerous crisis the world and Africa in particular is facing today.
“As we confront the challenges of insecurity, ethno-religious tensions, high rates of ritual killings, incessant rape, advanced free fraud, high rate of suicide, etc especially by our young ones, it is an indication that something bad had happened to our moral fabrics and and values which were the hallmark of our culture in time past.
“Particularly, I am worried about the spate of suicide in our society cio especially here in UNN where such an abominable act was unheard of in the past. This also show that there has been distortion in our value system and worldview of our people,” he said.
The VC thanked the Institute of African Studies and UNN Business School hosting the event and the guest lecturer, the keynote speaker and other guests of honours for attending the event
He stressed further that “it is my hope that at the end of the event, a great cultural and significant reawakening shall kick start among young African class and thinkers.
“To this end, I urge our staff and students to reflect deeply on the need for a cultural rebirth and to keep alive the founding philosophy of the founding fathers of our university.”
In a remark, Prof. Aloysious Okolie the Chairman of the occasion and Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, UNN, commended the organizers of the event for bringing scholars together to interrogate a way forward to revive the nations drying cultures.
Earlier, Prof. Florence Orabueze, the Director of African Studies said that the objective of this carnival is to promote our native languages, culture and tradition so the the upcoming generation we learn and grow with it.
