NAN-ELS-4
Culture
By Ebere Agozie
Abuja, Oct 12, 2016 (NAN) His Royal Highness, Samson Yare, the Chu-Mada III of Akwanga, in Nasarawa State has expressed his readiness to partner with the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) to promote the culture of Akwanga people.
Yare told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja that the people of Akwanga had rich cultural heritage.
“I want writers to come up with literatures, novels, poetries and films about the natural resource, rich cultural heritage, and the entire gift of nature that are located in Nasarawa State.
“I am impressed with ANA and the way it is being repositioned to show case the positive side of Nigeria.
“I am ready to partner with any writer that comes up with a manuscript about the culture of the Mada people, we are very welcoming and culturally rooted,’’ he said.
“Writers are agents of culture that are located in the cultural industry.
“Literature is a big part of all cultures, books shape nations and children and adults will read them to understand what made their country how it is.
“Literature can inform people, it can share history and it becomes the history of a certain place or the world and the documentation of an event story can change or influence a culture.’’
According to him, literature helps tell a story that is set in the past that draws on historical knowledge, usually based on real settings, and as a society, we are educated by this by learning.
Yare stated that the documentation of mistakes and events that occurred in the past would improve our cooperation and collaboration as a community.
“It can be used as a tool to shape societies and cultures of the future by informing us of things that occurred in the past that should and should not be repeated.
“The history could be either positive or negative, so that we can learn about what caused it and how they came to be, and either aim to avoid or replicate these.’’
He therefore, urged members of the association to come up with cultural books that would showcase the rich cultural heritage of the people of Akwanga and Nigeria in general.
The Chu-Mada also pledged to host the writers during the 2017 edition of the Mada Festival. (NAN)
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Edited by Ese E. Ekama