Boki stakeholders move for a shift of date of the boki New yam festival
My dearly beloved people of Boki Nation, permit me a breather to do some reflections on our cultural heritage.
Boki as a one indivisible Nation should start thinking of having a New Yam Festival that would fall on a week end and depict a colouration that would show case our unique cultural heritage and customs in line with our peculiarities and its uniqueness.
The idea of pecking the New Yam celebration day on the 18th August of every year, irrespective of the day in the week it falls, is becoming obsolete and in my view inconsistent with the expected shine and fanfare usually associated with this unique event, which as a boy in those days, was like a Christmas to us. Nations around us appear to have adopted the tradition of marking their new yam day on a weekend, and they appear to be taking the shine away from us. Furthermore, since they don't seem to be any significance attached to that date, I am proposing that the powers that be in Boki leadership, should consider shifting the date to a weekend, whereby it could be better planned and organized in such a way to attract some fanfare and good attendance of Boki sons and daughters within and in diaspora.
Our sons and daughters working in diaspora can also consider applying for their annual leave within this period of the year, and the Otsibe Bokyi Annual General meetings can hold within this period as well.
We could also further unite our communities by creating and rotating a celebration venue each year striving to make it a special day to showcasing the rich Boki cultural heritage and values to the outside world, and also creating, developing and attracting tourism sites of a sort.
I use to know that in the good old days, Boje was known and called a tourist heaven, what could have been the things that gave it that status? Is Boje still a tourist attraction? If not, is they anything that can be done to relive that name, and how best can it be done?
I wound love us to do a rethink of these ideas and see how they can become a working agenda to repositioning Boki Nation to regain its lost glory that politics with bitterness has come to put asunder.
My humble thoughts as usual.
Elder Columba Okwashi
I disagree with your position.
ReplyDeleteTry and ask what brought about the day in question. If you do, you will understand the perculaliarity and why it's important to maintain the day.
Boki has a rich culture that have not been harnessed or develop upon by our elites. We are richer than ugep in culture where new yam is being celebrated in the state but their new yam is not a weekend show. If we decide to develop our culture and display it on the new yam day, you don't need to make a weekend thing thing before people will apply for casual leave and come home with their families to celebrate.
We had Boki Ogoja, Boki Ikom and Boki Obudu. Our nationhood was almost lost by this division and 18th of August was a day of reunion. You should also understand that Boki were the first and originators of NEW YAM FESTIVAL. Others are just borrowing our culture so we must maintain the standard
Thanks
We do not need to copy from others. The date, 18th August is okay.
ReplyDeleteWe do not need to copy from others. The date, 18th August is okay.
ReplyDeleteSir, u ve a good suggestion but remember 18th was theee before we where born and going through de history of our new yam festival, it will be difficult to change de date. De problem we have is, our great brothers and sisters ve refuse to embrace our culture they always like to celebrate their inviting de governor on some of those big politician to there place.that is why every year our new yam festival doesn't carry wight
ReplyDelete