•SFCSS pupils display different dancing skills
By Gabriel Dike
It was a display of different cultures by students, staff and parents of St. Francis Catholic Secondary School (SFCSS), Idimu, Lagos, recently.
The cultural display was by Igbo, Yoruba, Niger Delta, Akwa-Cross, and Arewa groups, while different local foods and drinks were prepared.
Before the cultural display, a Mass was said for the students, staff and parents, celebrated by Very Rev. Fr. Jude Odiaka, SJ, and the school sdministrator, Rev. Fr. Francis Koshoffia, SJ.
The different groups participated in cultural parades while the dignitaries visited and inspected the food stands of various ethnic groups.
The cultural day attracted the Aholu Sano of Koga Zebe Kingdom, Oba De-Ovitotode Toyi 1, Chief Linus Osita Okeke, Ozo Ugonchukwu, Mrs. Omolola Sanyaolu as the mother of the day, Chief and Lolo Kalu Kalu Mong, Dr. Amen Osamuyimen Eghomwanre, Engr. Efe Emmanuel Uwaifo, Chief Etangetuk Enediabasi, Engr. Eigbe Ehimen Albert, and Mr. Otis Ojeikhoa, among others.
In his speech, the school administrator, Rev. Fr. Koshoffia, described the event as a “day when we speak culture, hear culture, see culture and breathe culture. It is that day of the year when we, as a school community, pause to remind ourselves of our cultural identity and origins.”
According to him, aside from encouraging the students to think globally, it is imperative to ensure they think locally.
“This way, they become global citizens competent enough to tell their stories locally. And cultural day creates the opportunity to think locally,” he added.
The administrator said the celebration would witness various manifestations and expressions of culture through food, drink, dance, attire, decorations, symbols and language.
Fr. Koshoffia revealed that there were many ethnic groups represented in the school, and this adds flavour and colour to the enterprise of learning and character formation.
His words: “We have the Igbo community, Yoruba community, Niger Delta, Akwa-Cross, and Arewa community. We are grateful for this gift of diversity in our school community, which shows our school’s richness as we eschew the singularity of the experience. The unity of today’s celebration will be expressed in the WAZOBIA dance.”
Chairman of SFCSS Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), Mr. Felix Agbonrofo, told The Education Report that the benefit of the cultural celebration to the students was that it would keep them rooted in their culture.
He commended the school’s management for the celebration of the cultural day, which would make the students know there are many different cultures in the country and accommodate one another.
Agbonorofo stated that culture unites people and encourages them to promote their local heritage, rather than students imbibing foreign culture.
The PTA chairman advised parents to support their wards in knowing about their culture and that the SFCSS cultural day would affirm what parents have been telling the children about their local culture.
Mrs. Omolola Sanaolu, the mother of the day at the event, described the SFCSS cultural day as an important aspect of education to promote indigenous culture, which would ensure that the students don’t forget about their roots.
Sanyaolu said the cultural day was relevant because it made the students know other people’s culture, foods, drinks, languages and attire, and urged parents to carry the display home with the way they speak, dress and cook their local food.
Chairman, board of trustees , SFCSS PTA, Dr. Isidore Ezema, also said the celebration was to inculcate in the students the traditional way of life, adding, “You cannot bring up a child without them knowing the way of life.”
Ezema said the cultural day was an annual event to showcase different cultures and described it as part of the school’s philosophy of providing total education for the students.
Giving the history of Aholu Sano of Koga Zebe Kingdom and its culture, the palace secretary described Oba De-Ovitotode Toyi as a first-class monarch in Badagry and that it took the kingdom 62 before he was crowned.
He said the kingdom has many cultures and some of the civilization started in Badagry such as education, and Christianity, and first-story building was built in Badagry.
The palace secretary tasked parents to teach their children about their local culture, stating, “if teach our culture to the children, Nigeria will be better.’’