CULTURE: A PANACEA FOR UNITY AND PEACE IN NATIONAL DEV-OGBIA LAWMAKER

Hon. Sodaguwo Festus-Omoni

The Honourable member Representing  Ogbia Federal Constituency at the National Assembly, Honourable Sodaguwo Festus Omoni had called on the people of the Ijaw race to go back to their culture so as to build the bridges of peace, unity and progress in the area.
She stated this in a welcome address she presented at the occasion of a "...One Day Sensitization programme on Peace and Unity as Critical  Factors in National Development: The Ogbia Experience..." held at the Gabriel Okara Cultural Centre in the Bayelsa State capital Yenagoa.
The Lady Lawmaker, said it was the best of times to highlight the importance of culture with a view to promoting unity, peace and progress in the Nigerian nation, which she said, she has been passionate about. Hear this:
"I  have been passionate about this event because of the strategic importance of the culture of promoting peace and u0nity in any social set up....,"
Hon. Festus-Omoni defined culture as the 'transmission of oral traditions of a people from generation to generation through the practices and values which are marriage, music, dance, wrestling, religion, the arts, language and food etc...", while explaining the dynamism of Culture posited that practices that do not serve constructive purposes are dropped for new ones.
Looking back at the lane of history, she said:
"Ogbia people are unique in the sense that we  embrace Peace and Unity at all times. That is why Ogbia Brotherhood was founded to bring  together every son and daughter irrespective of marriage. Infact a daughter married to an Ogbia man is a member of the Ogbia Brotherhood.", she openly declared.
She remarked that the culture of 'Peace and Unity' of the people of Ogbia is as in the motto of the Ogbia Brotherhood "All for each, each for all"...Odionin ka abai translated unity is the best."
The Federal Parliamentarian lamented that the culture of the Ogbia people had been eroded due to modernization and encroachment by other cultures that do not value that of Ogbia, which according to her resulted in not holding the festivals of fishing, of wrestling and what she referred to as fast disappearaning of the language amongst the elites. Summarizing it all, she sent a message of caution to the Ogbia nation in these words:
"...let us eschew rancour and bitterness in our communities and social lives. Let us embrace Peace and Unity. Let us forgive and completely forgive the wrongs of the past...we call on our Royal Majesties, Royal Highnesses, Ogbia sons and daughters, our youths to come together to work as one..."
Hon. Sadaguwo  Omoni expressed appreciation to the immediate past President of the federal Republic of Nigeria,  His Excellency, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan GCON, GCFR, the Governor of Bayelsa State, His Excellency, Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson, His Excellency, the deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah, the Speaker of the State Assembly the Rt. Hon. Friday Kombowei Benson and the Rt. Hon. Justice Kate Abiri, the Chief Judge of Bayelsa State.
In his welcome address, the Executive Secretary/CEO, National Orientation for Cultural Orientation (NICO), Barclays Foubiri Ayakoroma, PhD, described the occasion as unique, he also called it an ' August gathering of the good people of Ogbia Kingdom..."

He acknowledges the fact that Chief Melford Obiene Okilo of blessed memory was one of the founding fathers of Bayelsa State, and the former president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan did a lot for the upliftment of not only the Ogbia people, but for Bayelsa and beyond.
He used the medium to thank the former president, Dr. Jonathan over his appointment as the ES, NICO where he served for the passed years after leaving the Bayelsa State Council for Arts and Culture in 2009.
Dr. Ayakoroma who stated that his Office, at the National Institute for Cultural Orientation in collaboration with the Office of the Member Representing Ogbia Federal Constituency, Hon. Sodaguwo Festus-Omoni in the organization of the cultural sensitization programme for the Ogbia people.
Barclays Ayakoroma who used the medium to inform that, that programme may be the last of his engagements as ES of NICO who is the husband of an Ogbia woman.