Cultural interaction can foster national unity ― NYSC Coordinator

THE National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) in Anambra says knowledge and respect for the culture of the various ethnic groups in the country can foster greater unity among Nigerians.

Mr Kehinde Aremu, the NYSC Coordinator in Anambra, said this at the cultural festival of the 2018 Batch B Stream One Corps members in Anambra at the Umunya Temporary Orientation Site on Sunday.

Aremu said the NYSC had fostered national unity through the posting of young graduates to various parts of the country by making them appreciate the beauty of their respective cultures.

According to him, the essence of the cultural festival “is to get our young people to appreciate the Nigerian culture.

“We found out that most of our educated young people have lost touch with the Nigerian culture which binds us together.

“The NYSC thought it wise to introduce culture in its programme as part of efforts to get Nigerians together because that is our mandate.

“We assigned a particular culture to each platoon, made up of people from diverse cultural backgrounds.

“We made then to research into cultures assigned to them and make presentations on it.

“So, you see these corps members studying many cultures at the same time in this camp.

“There are so many prejudices which they take with them to their places of primary assignment.

“You hear some people telling their children that when they go to some parts of this country that they will eat them, others say they will be killed because they are strangers.

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“But cultural interaction such as this in camp will make them understand that these prejudices that they have been fed with by their parents and older generations are non-existent.

“That is how these fears are destroyed and national unity fostered all over,” he said.

The coordinator said the corps members have been given adequate orientation to enable them to go to the communities of Anambra and contribute to development without any fear of integration problems.

“The job has been done, the local government chairmen, traditional rulers have come to welcome them, direct employers have made their request and are awaiting them, so these Corp members are ready to go into Anambra with so much confidence,” he said.

Igwe Roland Odegbo, the Traditional Ruler of Nteje in Oyi council area, gave his royal blessing to the corps members and assured them of happy stay where ever they found themselves for primary assignment.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that there was the cultural parade, cultural displays and other competitions where the adjudged winners were given prizes.