By Emeka Samuel, Uyo
An NGO, Nature Care Foundation has called for a review of cultural practices in the country with a view to discouraging those that are not of economic and social benefit to the people.
It has also called for an archeological survey of some locations and sites in Akwa Ibom where there have been traces of mineral deposits in order to enhance the economic potentials of the area.
Founder and Executive Director Mrs. Carine Udoh who made this known in an interaction with newsmen in Uyo yesterday maintained that though there is a need for the protection of cultural practices of the people some have become harmful and detrimental to the peace and growth of the economy, mutual existence and social well-being of the people.
Udoh said that the goal of the organization remained the promotion and protection of the intellectual properties of the people built on existing cultural potentials and ensuring that cultural practices of the people of the area are not allowed to go extinct,
“This is very important because we have come to discover that some of our foods and natural endowments are gradually going extinct not to talk of some of our cultural practices. For instance, a certain species of fish in the Oron axis of the state has suddenly disappeared.
Local fishermen cannot find them again. Also, our local dry gin is been banned while we import millions of tons of foreign dry gin into the country on a daily basis.” She stated.
She regretted that Africans have allowed some of the practices that made them unique and prosperous to dwindle and called for creative ideas based on existing cultural potentials to help expand and sustain the economy and cultural beliefs of the different cultures of the people in addition to building tolerance among the different people of the area.
She said that such creative ideas based on our natural resources and cultural endowments could help to reduce over-dependence on crude oil disclosing that their information has been made available to appropriate bodies for the scientific proof of mercury discovery in some parts of the state.
Nature Care Foundation, Udoh said have concluded arrangement for a cultural show and exhibition that would seek to promote native food and dress code of the people in a modern environment in order to make them attractive and appealing to youths who probably had not eaten or worn such dresses in the past.
This she said is part of plans by the organisation to restore and encourage the practice of the good cultural heritage of the people especially among young people in the area.
