By Sani Gazas Chinade, Damaturu
His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Yobe state, Hon. (Dr.) Mai Mala Buni, CON COMN, has, along with high ranking personalities from across the country, Niger Republic, Chad and Cameroon attended the historic Kanem Borno Cultural Summit in Maiduguri, Borno State.
A statement by Mamman Mohammad who is the D-G, Press and Media Affairs to the governor said, when addressing the gathering, Gov. Buni stated that he was pleased to be at the reawakening of the rich historical civilization and rebirth of the cultural heritage of the famous old Kanem Borno, one of Africa’s largest and lasting empires.
“This programme does not only revive the traditions and culture of the people, but also a bridge between yesterday and today, the older and present generations, for peace and stability.
“As the theme of this celebration “Harnessing Culture for Peace and Regional Stability” suggests, we have a great opportunity in events such as this to exploit our cultural heritage for value reorientation, self-development and societal growth.
Gov. Buni said the “occasion reminds us of the moral duties of leadership, the expectations from the followership, the responsibilities of parents and the needed discipline among the youth who are often prepared for future leadership.”
He recalled that “Kanem Borno was, and still is, famous for memorization of the Holy Quran and Islamic education, making it a great center of learning in West Africa. It was also known for its greatness in trade and agriculture.
“The teachings of Islam and virtues of our culture preaches peace and peaceful coexistence. Therefore, by this, we are supposed to be symbols and reflection of peace. The people of Kanem Borno should be role models of peace.”
Gov. Buni noted with dismay, that over time, the people lost the sense of communality and the spirit of being brother’s keepers they were known for.
“We also lost the era when any father on any street irrespective of his social or economic status, is a father to all, and has the command and control over any errant child.”
He also decried the sad and disturbing social media war among clergies who have resorted to attacking one another in their preaching. “This development is sad, unfortunate and counter-productive with the potential of creating more problems than uniting us.”
He implored stakeholders to take advantage of the economic potentials in the rich cultural heritage of the region for economic growth: “we should explore and exploit the potential in the famous horse racing/dubar, our beautiful Zannah Bukar caps and the tasty-rich traditional cuisines to promote tourism, generate employment and economic growth for sustainable peace, security and stability in the region.”
