3rd April, 2017
A first class traditional ruler in Nasarawa State, Alhaji Usman Abdullahi, has appealed to stakeholders in the country to salvage the nation’s culture and tradition from extinction.
Alhaji Usman Abdullahi, who is the Ohimegye Opanda in Umaisha Development Area of the state, made the appeal on Monday when he led other stakeholders of the area to visit ancient traditional sites in Tatapwa village of the council.
The royal father said that culture, tradition and tourism were tools for fostering unity, peace and development, hence the need for people to preserve them from extinction and for the overall development of the country.
“Culture and tradition are one and it is important that we preserve them for our heritage to be known and told.
“Gradually, we are losing the values of these cultures and tradition because they have been misconstrued in so many ways,” he said.
The monarch also called on parents and Nigerians at large to take education of their children with seriousness, adding that no nation could achieve speedy development without sound education.
“Education is the bedrock of every society, hence the need for parents to make it top priority for their children.
“The development of any society is dependent on the quality of education given to children and this leads to success in life and a route to escape from poverty,’’ he added.
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Abdullahi enjoined Nigerians to be law abiding, respect constituted authority and continue to live in peace and tolerate one another irrespective of ethnic, religious and political affiliation.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the monarch and his entourage visited the Bees forest, Opanda stream, termite house, refugee camp, ancient gate and ancient big tree, among others, all in Umaisha development area.
NAN also learnt that the Bees forest serve as spiritual den for soldiers and is used to chase away enemies while the ancient big tree is used for medicinal purposes apart from its nutritional value.