OLORUNDARE ENIMOLA, Lagos
Owode Grammar School Owode, Ota scored a total of 50 points to emerge winners of this year's interschool Yoruba Quiz Competition organised by the Ancestral Pride Foundation in collaboration with the 'Egbe Akomolede Ati Asa Yoruba', a sociocultural group, held on Wednesday at the Iganmode Senior Grammar School, Ota.
Oba Abdulkadir Obalanlege, the Olota of Ota speaking at the competition said the need to promote the Yoruba culture cannot be overemphasized to stem the declining interest of the emerging generation in the culture in all ramifications.
Oba Abdulwasiu Ogungbayi, Onitetiku of Owode, Ota, made the declaration on behalf of the Olota at this year's Yoruba quiz competition for Secondary Schools in Ota, emphasising that the Yoruba culture constitues all of its clothings, food, language, Music, traditional worships, marriage, greetings and associate practices.
He called on well meaning individuals, organisations and government at levels to inculcate and integrate cultural values in governance because it holds a strong influence on the people and the society, ascribing social vices; like kidnapping, thuggery, landgrabbing armed robbery and others to the neglect of our culture.
He said, “The ability to go back and embrace our culture will lessen juvenile delinquencies corruption, kidnapping and others social vices to be reduced to the barest minimum in the country,” he added.
Oluwo Dr. Fashola Faniyi, President and Founder of Ancestral Pride Foundation, who is the facilitator of the quiz competition, said the event is organised as part of the mission of the foundation to improve the Yoruba culture across the World, stressing "the quiz competition which is the second in the series is our Foundation's contribution in promoting the declining value of the Yoruba culture, expected to impact the love of the culture in the hearts of our young ones who will in time to come pass it to the coming generations."
Dr. Faniyi added that even foreigners now learn the Yoruba culture in their Higher institutions, wondering why the owners of the culture are not promoting it.
Speaking further about the Yoruba quiz competition,, Dr. Faniyi said, "The quiz competition involving 16 Secondary Schools, is particularly organised to improve the Yoruba speaking proficiencies of our children, believing it will birth interests that will shore up greater number of Youths becoming promoters of the language.
"It's quite unfortunate that quite a number of our young ones are being raised with English language as the main language of communication in their homes, making it difficult for many of them to fluently communicate with Yoruba, we however hope to use these type of competition, with encouraging reward packages to change the status quo." Dr. Faniyi added.
Mrs. Iretiolu Solaja, the Vice Principal of Anlican Grammar School, Ota and the erstwhile State Secretary 'Egbe Akomolede Ati Asa Yoruba' sociocultural group said, "it is commendable that the Ancestral Pride Foundation is coming with this type of competition just as it is organised to improve Mathematics, English and other subjects so will this competition improve the proficiency of the Yoruba language among our students."
In her submission, Mrs Sekinat Awoniran, Secretary of the Yewa/Awori Area of the Sociocultural group, asserted that the competition is actually organised stir up Yoruba speaking potentials of the students with the aim to foster efficiency of the Yoruba language.
She said, "The quiz questions were asked along with what is covered in the WAEC syllabus and adequate preparations have been made to enhance quality performance not only in the competion but in the coming WAEC exams.
Mr. Oyetola Rotimi, a member of the Event's Planning Committee explained that the 16 Schools invited were drawn from each of the four different zones that Ota was divided into to give balanced representation.
The other participating Schools with their scores include: Iju Ebiye High School Iju-Ota came 2nd with 45 points; Local Government Senior Secondary School - 43 points; Ijanmode Grammar School Ota - 42 points; Ajogbo Grammar School, Ajibale - 20 points; Anglican Grammar School Ota - 30 points; St Michael High School Ota - 35 points; AUD Comprehensive High School Lafenwa - 30 points.
Others are: African Church Grammar School Ewupe ACCCS -42 points;
10) Sango - Ota High School Sango - 30; and AUD Comprehensive College Ota - 20
Some of the dignitaries at the competition include: Chief (Mrs) Fashola; Chief (Mrs) Ifaronke Fashola; Odota of Ota, Awori Kingdom, Hon. Chief Oladele Adeniji; HRH Oba Clement Olusegun Akinyemi (Ajana of Ijana, Otta); Lt. Comdr. Olaife Olaiya (Commanding Officer of the Nigerian Navy School of Music, Ota).
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