Governor Udom Emmanuel has made a case for the re-introduction of nature science in the school curriculum to keep the younger generation abreast with core cultural values and artifacts that are indigenes to Nigeria and Africa.
The Governor stated this when the Director General of National Council for Arts and Culture Mrs. Dayo Keshi called on him at Government House, Uyo during her visit to the state for the 45th Meeting of Chief Executives of Culture of the Federation.
He decried the situation where the younger generation are constantly assailed with align values at the expense of African cultural heritage saying that the core Nigerian values are going into extinction by the day.
Governor Emmanuel said nature science which dominated curriculum of studies in our educational institutions provided avenue for the children to appreciate their heritage as well as natural endowments in the country and that its re-introduction would give the children impetus to take pride in our artifacts as well as work towards creatively harnessing such endowments for wealth creation, employment generation and sustainability.
He pointed out that names of fruit trees, rare-birds, arts, craft and animals have lost African identify and that the gradual eroding of tourist attractions is a concern. He urged the National Council for Arts and Culture to work towards its rebirth to give the country an identity.
The Governor, therefore, called for a transparent legislation to provide a legal frame work to regulate the tourism sector and enable practitioners reap from their investment maintaining that culture and tourism are windows of marketing resources of the country to the world.
Earlier, the Director General National Council for Arts and Culture, Mrs. Dayo Keshi said that the Chief Executives of Culture of the Federation comprising Chief Executives of Councils for Arts and Culture, History and Culture Bureau of the 36states, Heads of Federal Cultural Parastatal and Director of Entertainment and Creative Services in the Federal Ministry of Information And Culture are in the state to adopt the National Festival OF Arts and Culture (NAFEST) syllabus and to fine tune the state’s preparedness to host the festival.
Mrs. Dayo said that the offer of hosting right to the state which is a unanimous decision of the apex Cultural decision – making body, was in acknowledgment of outstanding performance of the present administration couple with the rich cultural and serene endowment of the state.
the Director General said the enduring commitment of Governor Emmanuel to the development of Culture and Tourism by transforming coastal beaches in the state into global tourist resorts, upgrading the present craft and raffia market in Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area to an International One-stop Art souvenir market, renovation of historic attraction and sites to attract revenue and boost tourism have marked the state out as an iconic brand on the map of cultural tourism in Nigeria.
She therefore emphasized that NAFEST is designed to lend credence to the landmark development witnessed in the state and that the world class event which would afford the state an opportunity to host the nation and international community will witness a boom in the state’s economy as taxi drivers, food vendors, recharge card sellers, hoteliers and others would stand to benefit.
Mrs. Dayo solicited the state government’s support in the area of security, publicity, accommodation and state contingent participation as distinct from their role as host in the event and particularly commended the people of the state for the warmth reception accorded her and the visiting team since their arrival in the state.
