By Uchenna Eletuo
A culture and tradition enthusiast, Mr Okon Offiong, on Wednesday appealed to the Akwa Ibom government to suspend its ban on Ekpo masquerade practice, saying the prohibition would deprive the yuletide of its flavour.
Offiong, made the appeal in a statement he signed on Wednesday.
The statement was to alert the state on the emotional attachment of the people to the culture and for it to be sustained.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Gov. Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom, recently gave a directive to ban Ekpo masquerade practice in the state.
Offiong said that the widespread concern the directive had generated among cultural custodians, traditionalists, and lovers of heritage at home and in the diaspora, spoke volumes of the emotional attachment to the ban.
He described the ban as an harbinger to culture extinction.
“It strikes at the heart of a tradition that predates colonial history.”
According to him, it remains central to the cultural identity of the Ibibio, Annang, Oro, Obolo and other peoples in the South-East.
“Ekpo is a traditional institution, one that forms part of the intangible heritage of Akwa Ibom State.
“Any attempt to outlaw it entirely therefore raises serious cultural, legal, and historical questions.
“The prohibition is an abuse of the sensitivity of its practitioners.
“It is an attitude that projects personal belief instead of prioritising the collective cultural identity of the people.
“Government decisions must reflect pluralism, not personal creed.”
According to him, the blanket ban, therefore, appears to sideline, rather than protect the rights and sentiments of traditional believers and cultural custodians.
“Let us even look away from that angle and focus on the legal and international implications of such government’s decisions.
“There is no ambiguity to the fact that Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, under Section 21, mandates the state to “protect, preserve and promote the culture of the people.
“So, a complete proscription on Ekpo directly contradicts this duty,” he said.
He noted that the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Article 17) guaranteed citizens the right to participate in cultural life.
Moreso, at the international level, UNESCO’s Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003) encouraged governments to preserve; and not abolish ancestral traditions.
“By these standards, the recent ban not only suppresses cultural identity but sadly undermines global commitments to heritage protection.
“For decades, festive seasons in Akwa Ibom have been marked by vibrant displays of Ekpo masquerades, an attraction that draws thousands of sons and daughters home during Christmas.
“To many in the diaspora, Ekpo is the emotional bridge that reconnects them with their roots.
“The ban is, therefore, widely seen as a joy-killer, stripping Christmas celebrations of cultural colour, candour, performance, and meaning.
“At a time when other nations are investing heavily in cultural tourism, Akwa Ibom, with the directive by the governor, is moving in the opposite direction.”
He added that instead of banning it because of some unhealthy practices indulged in by some of its attendants, the state should modify it and penalise those who use it to cause discomfort to others.
He said that the government cited cases of extortion, intimidation, and disruption by individuals hiding under Ekpo attire.
To every fair-minded fellow, these concerns are valid, but they do not justify abolishing an entire institution.
“Those who commit crimes under the guise of masquerade should be identified, arrested, and prosecuted. Their actions should not be used as grounds to exterminate a centuries-old cultural practice.
“As an advocate for an enduring and sustainable heritage, I urge the state government to reconsider this position,” he said.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Vivian Ihechu
