The Director-General of the National Council for Arts and Culture, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe has decried the progressive deterioration of Nigeria’s cultural values.
He made the remark at a one day Cultural Roundtable on Morality, Culture and the Nigerian Youths organized by National Council for Arts and Culture NCAC in Abuja.
Otunba Runsewe noted that the event was aimed addressing the progressive deterioration of Nigeria’s cultural values and the urgent need to mount a comprehensive and sustainable value re-orientation programme to return Nigerian society on the path of moral rebirth.
Otunba Runsewe stated that while Nigeria had always been known for a rich culture, anchored on the virtues of hardwork, integrity, high public morality, respect for elders and constituted authority, decency in dressing and in public speeches among others, these virtues are rapidly giving way to various social vices.
He noted that in the past, agents of socialization like the family, school, religious institutions, took collective responsibility in inculcating high moral values in youths but today the story is different .
He decried the “”get rich quick”” syndrome and primitive acquisitive tendencies by yahoo-yahoo boys, scammers, internet fraudsters and all forms of social vices.
In her speech, the Chairman of the occasion, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Women Affairs and Administration, Office of the First Lady, Dr. Hajo Sani said that youths are copying foreign cultures in the way they talk and dress, and attributed it to deviation from moral values and customs.
She said it was the responsibility of the parents and teachers to ensure that pupils adhere cultural values.
In an address , the Managing Director of Africa Independence Television (AIT), Dr. (Mrs) Tosin Dokpesi, , commended the DG, NCAC for putting up the roundtable discourse, adding that there is no better time to start the moral rebirth crusade than now.
She said all hands must be on deck to rid the society of the social vices and inculcate good values in youths and emphasized the need to arrest the eroding values and tradition with a commitment to restore the lost culture and glory of the country Nigeria.
Highlight of the occasion was the presentation of a book titled “Morality, Culture and the Nigerian Youth”, authored by the Director-General, National Council for Arts and Culture, copies of which were distributed to all the participants: discussants, speakers, journalists and other invited guests.
