Nigeria’s former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, on Sunday, urged the Yoruba race to guard their culture which he described as authentic and never allowed it to go into extinction.
Obasanjo said this while hosting a renowned female talking drummer, Olumuyiwa Aralola, simply known as Ara in the entertainment industry that African, especially the Yoruba race must preserve their culture and never allow it to go into extinction.
He said that the reception held at the Legacy Resort of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, in Abeokuta, the former president, said the reception organised in Aralola’s honour was by accident, but an act of appreciation for her contributions to preserving Yoruba cultural heritage.
He noted that the renowned female talking drummer had excelled in a vocation believed to be dominated by the men folk.
He said, “For whatever reason, we must preserve our culture, Ara is a woman of culture, she is our cultural ambassador, she has lifted our culture and has broken the taboo on what was formerly believed to be exclusively for male gender. She had not only excelled in this but was already building young ones to preserve her legacy.
“When I was growing up, there are two things that you don’t imagine a woman should do. You cannot see a woman climbing a palm tree. Secondly, you cannot see a woman playing talking drum, Ara had broken the taboo and she had done it very well.
“Before now, parents did allow their son to play football but today, parents are now begging that their children should be allowed to play football.
“For me, if you are dancer, dance well and if you invite me for celebration, I will come. If you are a footballer and you invite me for celebration, I will come. Whatever you find your hands in doing, do it well.
“We must not joke with our culture. We are being relegated to the background, our language is being relegated, as our food, our dress, and others. We must not allow it. They are authentic things. Yoruba is not vernacular.
“I am a Christian, I attended two churches today and that does not mean that I should forget my culture. Whoever says Ifa is nothing, I will say that person is a big fool.
“Before Christianity and Islam, we have Ifa Orunmila meaning Olorun lo mo eni to ma la “It is Heaven that knows who will be saved”.
The female drummer had earlier in her remarks, said for her to attain the age of 50 was nothing but the grace of God because she never thought she would be alive to celebrate it.
Aralola narrated that she suffered a life-threatening health challenge last year and that she thought that she would not live to see her golden year.
She commended Obasanjo, for the honour done her because he did what her parents, could not wait to do for her.
READ MORE FROM: NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
