Voice of Nigeria (VON), has teamed up with the Obong of Calabar, the grand patriarch of Efik Eburutu kingdom, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi-Otu the fifth to promote cultural diversity.
The Director General of VON, Mallam Jibrin Baba Ndace offered the media platform as a strategic tool for propagating the language, customs, and cultural heritage of the Efik Eburutu kingdom and Cross River State as a whole.
Ndace, who was received by the natural ruler and treaty king alongside members of the Etubom’s council at the revered palace in Calabar, the capital of Cross River State in southern Nigeria, reiterated the importance of trust building through VON.
He said, ‘Since I came on board, I have been working to expand the use of local and international languages so that we can gain more mileage. You will agree with me that we are in a very different period as a country in terms of information sharing and management largely because of social media.’
According to the Director General, the proliferation of ‘misinformation
and disinformation and sometimes outright lies on the social media space required deliberate measures to dominate the media space with positive information about Nigeria and Africa.
‘As the Director General working based on the Renewed Hope agenda of Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, and the 5-Point agenda of the Minister of Information and National Orientation, which is bringing back trust to public communication, we are very determined and unapologetic in building positive narratives about Nigeria and Nigerians, Africa and Africans,’ he stated.
He disclosed that Voice of Nigeria was prepared to synergize with stakeholders including traditional institutions to publicise the positives about the people and cultures, which although diverse, serve to unify us as a people.
‘Each of us has a positive story that can be shared with the world about our diversity, dynamism, the beauty in our dressing, and the way we respect our traditional institutions. We want to be very consistent in telling our story. So, we are o
ffering our platforms, terrestrial and online, to promote all the activities of your kingdom,’ Ndace assured.
The DG highlighted the significance of educating the younger generation about the roles traditional leaders play in national unity and nation-building, saying ‘the young generation need to know the role of our traditional leaders. They need to know that when they all meet it is for the unity, peace, and development of this country.’
He acknowledged the fact that without the constant interventions and collaboration of the traditional leaders, some of the challenges in the country would have been worse.
Reintroduce ‘History’
In his response, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi Otu the Fifth described the appointment of Ndace as well deserved due to his antecedent as a seasoned and award-winning journalist.
The natural ruler promised to collaborate with VON and commended the Director General for his drive to project Nigeria positively to the world.
He also urged the Nigerian Government to, as a matter of urgenc
y, reintroduce the study of History into the educational curriculum so that the younger generation can learn from the nation’s historical past.
He further urged politicians to accord the traditional institution the recognition it deserves by providing the much-needed financial support and other enablement to function effectively.
The visit, which featured the display of the Efik Eburutu cultural dance known as Ekombi, had in attendance the Director of Training, Voice of Nigeria, Mrs. Funke Atohengbe, and others.
Source: Voice of Nigeria