People of the state have been called upon to make conscious effort toward preserving, protecting, and marketing their culture and custom as handed down by the ancestors instead of the present apathy and unconcern being shown to these ancestral heritage.
The Special Assistant Special Duties to Gov. Rochas Okorocha, Hon. Lisa Asugha Ayalla, made this passionate plea in Owerri during an inspection of the Imo Heritage Gallery being built by the Rescue Government to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the creation of the state at the Imo Suvernoir shop, Government House, Owerri.
The Special Duties aide who expressed satisfaction with the level of work done so far by the officials of the National Commission for museums and monuments who are helping her office set up the gallery said the time has come for the people of the state especially the traditional leaders to take the task of promoting Igbo culture seriously because of the numerous benefits the people stand reap from such effort.
According to her as the way of life and identity of the people it is important they are made vibrant and kept alive so that the future generation would have something hold on to and be proud to showcase to the outside world as heritage bequeathed to them by old generation.
She pointed out that one of the biggest problems confronting the Igbo today is the slow and steady erosion of the cultural values and identities of the people prominent of which is the gradual death of the Igbo language stressing that this ugly situation is responsible for the seeming crisis of identity confronting the Igbo at the moment.
insisting that for a people to make meaningful progress in life there must be a connect between the past, present and future the Special Duties aide enjoined the people to a cue from the state governor who has blazed the trail in the in the campaign to resusitate the cultures of the people of the state and by extension that of the South East saying it is only when all hands are put on deck that the project of restoring the lost glory of Igbo culture would become a reality.
Continuing, she added that the culture of a people when preserved and showcased as tourist attraction could become veritable sources of income generation and employment creation as outsiders visit to appreciate such cherished sites even as she pointed out that a well developed tourism landscape would greatly boost the revenues of government.
While commending her principal for promptly approving and providing the fund for the gallery which she said would be one of the legacies of his adminstration Hon. Asugha Ayalla called on the people of the state to change their attitude to Igbo culture as no culture is superior or inferior to another even as she called on other state governments in the zone to emulate the wonderful gestures of Gov Okorocha so as to reestablish the south east in the cultural and tourism calendar of the country. .
