●Donates N25m to National Museum, Jos for renovation work
Report by Kure Tashilane.
Due to sustained calls from stakeholders and monarchs across board on how expedient it is for the reintroduction of history in secondary schools curriculum in Nigeria, Governor Abdullahi A. Sule of Nasarawa state has expressed commitment to initiate strategic engagements with governors under the auspices of Nigerian Governors Forum and the Federal Ministry of Education for reconsideration.
Engineer Sule revealed his commitment to led the course for the reintroduction of history as a critical subject at secondary schools level which is strategic for the sustenance and transmission of our diverse cultural heritage from one generation to another in his speech at the National Museum in Jos in this year’s celebration of International Museum Day which identifies, features and showcases Eggon thriving rich cultural heritage.
” I am also a student of history even though I am an engineer, I read a lot of history and I take the challenge from our father the Gbong Gwom Jos Da Jacob Gyang Buba that I am taking same not only to the Northern Governors Forum but indeed to the Nigerian Governors Forum and to the Minister of Education in order to ensure the importance of the reintroduction of history in our schools …
” To me, it is not just history that we are going to reintroduce; but the culture of reading has to be reintroduced as well. Because today, our children are use to the social media. They can actually read about ten pages on the social media but if you give any of them one page in a book to read, he will not be able to read it “
The Governor stressed that reading culture has to be reintroduced jointly with history as a subject in secondary schools in order to entrench transmission of our rich, unique and diverse cultural heritages through history as a subject in schools.
He appreciated the National Commission For Museums and Monuments for identifying, featuring and showcasing Eggon thriving rich cultural heritage as they celebrate this years International Museum Day with the theme – Place of Museums in a Rapidly Changing Economy.
The Governor noted that the prevailing pervasion in cultural norms and decadence in value and orientation has reached a level that requires attention and that if the reintroduction of history in our school curriculum would help address this growing absurdity, he is ready to lead the discourse for the reintroduction of history in secondary schools at the national level.
He equally congratulated the Aren Eggon His Royal Highness Retired Justice Ahmed Ubangari for leading the Eggon nation to enviable heights during his reign and Professor Victor S. Dugga for delivering a lecture titled – Eggon cultural values and their relevance for sustainable development in contemporary times.
Engineer Sule also donated the sum of twenty-five million (25m) naira for the renovation work of the structures and equipping of the National Museum facilities in Jos to make it condusive for sociocultural activities moving forward.
In his good will message, His Royal Highness, the Gbong Gwom Jos Da Jacob Gyang Buba made a case for history to be reintroduced in secondary schools curriculum to foster transmission of our rich diverse sociocultural history from one generation to another.
He noted that from the history of the Eggon people which was narrated by His Royal Highness the Emir of Lafia, Justice Sidi Bage Muhammad reminds him of what they told the Governor of Plateau state when the Berom people celebrated Nzem Birom in February.
” Let’s be reminded of the fact that; a people who do not know where they are coming from, can never know where they are going to. They will embark on a very blind journey and whatever happens to those people, cannot be described by anything less than disaster …
” And as a people, Nigeria is blessed with so many nationalities; each with it’s culture and tradition. But we have not been able to successfully hand down these history to our children because of some fundamental government policies …
” When I was in primary school, and I wouldn’t say when because it would frighten some of you up to secondary school. History was a subject, a very veritable subject. We read about Kanem Borno Empire, Sokoto Khalifat, Jaja of Okpobo and so many traditional institutions in Nigeria ” The Gbong Gwom Jos explained.
He said, such narratives of the existence of empires and Emirs and kingdoms helped in fostering deeper understanding of one another only to wake up today and there is no more history in schools anymore as it had been substituted with something called ‘civic education’.
” Who is the civil and who is educating who ? Please, I appealed to the Governor of Plateau and I am appealing to your Excellency to reinstate history in the curriculum of schools, otherwise, we are systematically loosing our identities …
” Let us be very careful, those of us who are leaders today either in public service or in the traditional councils, if we don’t take time; we will all be lost in what is called Nigeria ” He noted.
The royal father stressed that Nigeria is a multicultural country – with a very rich history and that the only history Nigeria can lay claim to is the collective history of the different nationalities that make-up Nigeria. And that we must at this juncture in life ask ourselves the question; why are we denying ourselves that history ?
He harped on the need for us to know each other very closely and equally appealed for a more robust cultural activities within and out of the state.
” It would be very grandiose if tomorrow we gather in Lafia or in Gboko Benue or in Jos here or any other place within the north central celebrating our culture and traditions. It is going to be worth it because we need to know each other properly ” The Gbong Gom Jos suggested.
He equally submitted that, there are some cultural practices we need to drop because of our affiliations with religion – Islam and Christianity which is perfectly okay. But the fact that you don’t practice them does not mean, you did not have them.
Hence the need to be reminded of them and equally urged the Curator of the National Museum to deliver his message and suggestions to the higher authorities for further engagement for the rotation of their activities to other states by establishing National Museums in various states of the federation as they don’t subscribe to the monopoly of location.
The Chairman of the occasion, the Emir of Lafia and Chairman Nasarawa State Traditional Council of Chiefs HRH. Justice Sidi Bage Muhammad said another page and chapter has been open today as the National Museum identifies and celebrates the Eggon people to the world.
” The Eggon people are known to the world and I think, they are people who deserves to be known better by the world. The Eggon people have shown the world something that they are not just a people you count in quantity but you count them also in quality …
” The Eggon people had shown that they are a people that must be recognized in our country, in Africa and the world at large ” The Emir noted.
On his part, the Paramount traditional ruler of Eggon nation His Royal Highness the Aren Eggon Justice Ahmed Ubangari Retired in his speech explained that outlined activities that would characterize the two days event to include: traditional dance, presentation of Eggon dishes, display of Eggon arts and photographs of historical sites.
Other activities includes: reading of Eggon folklores and proverbs, live cultural display of Eggon culture and items in order to foster understanding amongst Eggon people and other ethnic nationalities as they showcase their tradition and culture.
The royal father stressed that the overriding objective of the event is to foster tourism and economic development.
In a goodwill message, the Speaker Nasarawa State House of Assembly Rt. Hon. Danladi Jatau appreciated every Eggon son and daughter for the feat achieved so far in positively projecting Eggon cultural values to the world.
Jatau equally appreciated Governor Abdullahi A. Sule for making inclusivity the hallmark of his administration by exemplifying his passion for sports, cultural renaissance and youth development in Nasarawa state.
Earlier, in his opening remarks, the curator of the National Museum Jos said every year, the International Council on Museum chooses a theme that directs our attention an aspect that is relevant in circumstances of the day and that the theme of this year’s celebration is – the future of museums in rapidly changing communities.
” Because of the overwhelming response that the museum is receiving in the Plateau; we have developed a concept that had become a practice identify a community to pay attention to for a better appreciation of their culture and tradition through what is now called, culture in focus …
” And through that initiatives, we had relatively covered a lot of Plateau state nationalities. In 2025, we have thought it necessary to the plateau public to equally appreciate the rich cultures of other Nigerian nationalities and we are therefore pleased to inform your Excellencies and the royal fathers that today, we have in focus the Eggon nation of Nasarawa state ” The Curator explained.
He stressed that the Eggon people had entrenched over time outstanding rich cultural values which needs to be showcased for the world to see, hence the choice of Eggon people in the 2025 celebration of world museum day in Jos.
High point of the event featured exhibition of Eggon traditional articles as well as moral values which is an artifact of human culture devised to help us negotiate social relationships and integration.(www.krestnews.com).