The Eze Igbu Upata III of Upata Kingdom, Ahoada East Local Government Area, Rivers State, Eze Felix Enene Otuwarikpo, says the culture and traditional heritage of the people are their pride.
The Upata monarch said, culture and tradition should be exploited for conflict resolution options to promote peace and security in the Nigerian society.
The Eze Igbu Upata stressed the need for people to respect African culture and tradition, which he said had been used to promote peace and security right from the pre-colonial era.
Declaring open the Upata Forklore day last Thursday, in preparation for the forthcoming Ogwu Ekpeye festival, the king said, “It has been a known fact that the culture and traditions of Upata are so rich, that if properly funded, would see the Kingdom become a tourist destination and create numerous job opportunities for the teeming youths, and would yield so much return on investment for investors.
“The glory of Upata lies in its unfettered adherence to its rich culture and traditions. One of the imperative cultures of Upata, is the Ogwu festival, which is one of the most respected heritage in the ancient Igbu Upata Kingdom.”
Saying the people were committed to preserving their cultural heritage despite influx of foreign culture which has eroded the culture of some Kingdoms, the Eze stressed that “we are willing to project these traditions to the world.”
He said there was need to create, add value and importance to the festival with modernisation and globalisation, informing that “we will strive towards achieving that goal, especially by targeting the youth with specialised programmes that will be put in place in future as the festival is attended by people of all ages and races.”