It was nearly dawn when the silence of the village was sharttered by a ululation that welcomes the late chief's long-awaited son before long people trooped to the palace.By day break one could counting the number of dancers that had come to share the joy of the chief.As sun rose promising the heat of the day.An army vehicle arrived vomiting soldiers everywhere,this marred the day's joy.An officer asked a young man standing by Danaa a headteacher a Yoo-Naa city primary school who had cheated so many people including a police officer.He had promised to secure them Visas to European countries but had failed.He however did not return to them the 500 dollar fee he collected from each of them.In no time, Danaa was arrested without the chief's notice but the chief stood between them success their mission but however told them they could not arrest anyone including Danaa without first informing him.An old man among the police dashed into a nearby local market bought some cola nuts and some token adding that the chief was visited before the hard criminal was arrested.Gone were the days our local palace was revered and respected by all local folks.
Today the "Sakawa" could have been averted but the law that says if you do not see him steal you not accuse(no business with luxury?) him has rotten the souls of the youth.Our chiefs could have been used to track down this menace among the youth.Today culprits can no longer be dealt with meanwhile the police often do not have 'enough evidence' to punish culprit and the menace continues.The healing cane has been forgotten.Miasma of colleagues whose parents have lost control of them under the pretext of freedom of association has the virulence to infect their colleagues.The writer is as well a victim of circumstances.
I feel ashamed of my inability to play my cultural roles,being an acclaim son of the Gong Gong family.Though not the only young man with this infection ,there are many more young ones who cannot tell you how the Damba festival,Bugum Festival and the mini Yam festival are performed.
How can we straightened this?If the falcon cannot hear the falconer.George W.B. Yeast was right for that saying.The youth do not see how they should learn from the old folks who never stepped foot in classroom forgetting that all are not learnt from the white board.Tradition is supreme.
No nation has ever developed under the ignorance of their own culture and tradition.An example is China an economic tiger of our times.
yakubu h.yakubu
