AKWA IBOM AND HER CULTURE

Culture is defined as the total way of life of a people in a particular society.
Culture is defined as the total way of life of a people in a particular society. This is to say that there is no human society without its own culture. But what is important is that some societies are keen in their culture than others. Some societies due to ignorance or carelessness allow their culture to die. These societies allow some aspects of their culture to disappear by too much appreciating and becoming over-dependent on other people's culture.

For the sake of this writing, there is need to go further to say that culture include the kind of food we eat, the way we dress, talk, dance, the kind of songs we sing, the architectural design of the house we live and so on. However, talking about a country like China, this country stands tall among the comity of nations when talking about the ability of her citizens to keep, promote and appreciate their culture anywhere they are. The Chinese are known to have a distinctive way of eating. They eat with stick from time immemorial till date. Anywhere they are, their architectural design remains perfectly outstanding. Their popular Chinese 'Karat' till today is one which is very famous even at international competitions like the Olympics.

Another culture worthy of recommendation is the famous English culture which as a result of how the owners appreciate and value it has made it almost a force trying to destroy or swallow other cultures in the world. The English have spread their culture as a religion to every nook and cranny of the world. We, like other consumers, have so accepted this culture to the detriment of our own. Now, let's look at the dressing pattern of an English man. He mostly goes in suit or shirt and a pair of trousers with a tie which is what most people the world over are using intensively today. In fact, in Nigeria, especially in Akwa Ibom State, we tend to make this dressing pattern an official one.

In Nigeria, there are people who are very conscious and appreciative of their culture by trying to maintain those valuable life patterns their forefathers handed down to them. This could be seen in their way of still eating those foods which are their traditional foods, they still dress the way their forefathers dressed to maintain their uniqueness. They still sing those traditional songs and maintain their games. It is worthy to note the Igbos are doing very well in maintaining good aspects of their culture. They still dress in their traditional attire of velvet chieftaincy, loincloth and red round cap and other accessories to complement. While their women normally tie loincloth, at their chest complementing it with beads and coloured clay to beautify the body. Their songs could easily be recognized through the use of popular Igbo traditional flute, while their food, like African salad, bitter leaf soup and akpu remain famous among them anywhere they are.

The most important fanciful thing one can appreciate among the Igbos is the way and manner they speak their language. It is very simple to identify the Igbos whenever they are up to two in umber. This is so because they always speak their language whenever they are. No wonder they dominate the Nigerian film industry because you will always notice a good display of their culture by dressing, singing and talking. In fact, this is how people should be appreciating their culture.

The Yoruba culture is another culture in Nigeria that worth recommendation. The language is highly spoken and naming of their children is very appreciative. They have love for their traditional names. Even among the Igbos, even if they may have an English name, would also have a native name. Take for example, an Igbo girl is named Glory but her real name is Ngozi. But the Yorubas and Hausas are the best in this aspect. It is worthy of note that the Yorubas hardly give their children English names even if they were born outside the country. In fact, I give kudos to the Hausa because no Hausa man would name his children English names, like Elton, White, Williams etc., They either give their children religious or traditional names no matter how educated and exposed they might be. Meanwhile, a name is seen as the greatest identity of an individual which to a very great extent should be reflected on the person's personality.

But in Akwa Ibom State, we have over the years allowed other people's culture to penetrate our subconsciousness to the extent that we start accepting them and at the same time forget our own. We seem to forget the popular saying which says, "If you don't say I am, nobody will say you are: We have not seen the need to speak our language again. Most of us are now feeling shy to speak our own native language outside our homes. Matters are made worse among the young nursery school children. Most of them cannot call some things in our local dialect nor can they count from one to twenty in our language. Our local food like the famous Asa Iwa Edes: Ibokpot', Ekpang Iwa, Edita Iwa and many other traditional delicacies can no more be prepared by our sons and daughters.

On day, a curios school child asked her aunt to tell her the traditional Akwa Ibom wear. It was shocking to know that the big lady did not know, but told the anxious child that the women dress with wrapper and buba which is rather a traditional dress for Yoruba women. Nevertheless, the spirit in which the present commissioner for culture and tourism, Lady Valerie Ebe, begins is particularly appreciated. The hosting of Akwa culture fair by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism was a kind of cultural re-awakening. The people were once again reminded of the need to always keep their culture in top form, but should at the same time do away with such negative aspects, like female circumcision and the use of dangerous weapons like machetes and guns to attack innocent members of the public by masquerades. Rather, they should be played in a manner that promotes peace and understanding while abiding by the laws of the state.
It is high time we started becoming proud of our language. Our language should be made a compulsory subject in schools up to senior secondary school level because a society that cannot promote and pass valuable aspects of its culture to future generations, is in a serious trouble. Therefore, we must strengthen our language and make it acceptable even to others.
One day as I was doing my National Youth Service in Kogi State, I happened to meet one Mr Udofia at the orientation camp. I was glad to know that the NYSC official was from Akwa Ibom because of his name tag. But the greatest shock of my life came when I introduced myself in Ibibio language, of course I was not alone but with two other people all from Akwa Ibom. It was a dramatic scene when we talked to the official in Ibibio, he was busy answering us in English. We must start being proud of our language and be happy to use it anywhere. Our children should be named the traditional names like Eno, Imaobong, Mfon, Itoro, Idongesit, Mkpouto, Emediong, Uwakmfon, Utibeima, Ubok-Utom-Abasi ands many other lovely names. Our indigenous food should be cooked and eaten even in the restaurants and hotels, such as ekpang nkukwo, edikang ikong, asa iwa, efere ibo kpot, Otong, foo foo and many others. Our traditional palm wine should be promoted and accorded its rightful position. Afterall, it is known to be of higher value than the sugary imported drinks that we buy daily. Craft work in Ikot Ekpene should be highly promoted and sold in every hotel in the state and in Akwa Ibom liaison offices at Lagos and Abuja to enable our guests to purchase them as this would go a long way to promote both our culture and the economic standards of the country.


The government should as a matter of policy, declare at least one day in a week as a cultural day. These days, Akwa Ibom person should be made to wear traditional attire to office. This way, we will see ourselves promoting our much valuable cultural heritage to the next level. It is there and then that others will start seeing things good in us and therefore see the beauty to emulate us. Government officials and public office holders should use their positions to used for cultural promotion in the state. It is disheartening the way and manner our public figures always pose in suit from Monday to Monday and this is a serious threat to the survival of our native cultural values because this class of people are seen as figures and representatives of the people. So people tend to copy most of what they do.

Therefore, we should all see our cultural decadence as a collective concern and therefore wake up to revamp it if we must leave good aspects of our cultural heritage to the next generation.