By Yabagi Mohammed.
Since his introduction of the course as tutor as Lecturer I at the department, Dr Gabriel Ottah, now the Head of the Department of Mass Communication in Kogi State University, has kept the fire of making sure students are kept abreast of their culture and traditions in the face of competing imported ways of life. Little wonder he still teaches the course with gusto and panache, attracting accolades year-in, year-out from far and near. This year’s edition was no different.
The 2019 edition of the African CommuFestival, an annual event of the Department, is a practical extension of the course, African Communication Systems, offered by the first year students. Students from other departments such as Theatre Arts and Library and Information Science also take the course in “borrowed form.” The course introduces students to the communication modus operandi of Africans of old when there were no modern media of communication such as radio, television and newspapers which have contributed to influencing people’s ways of life.
Popular culture has become a norm of influence among the young ones who dominate student demographic in first year of University education, hence the imperative of the course, Dr Ottah told our correspondent.
Little wonder therefore the students who were in the spirit of zeal and agility displayed African Child birth and naming; African attires and identities, and a folk tale sessions during this year’s event.
In his address at the Festival, the Vice Chancellor of Kogi State University, Prof Muhammed Abdulkadir commended the Head of the Department of Mass Communication for not only teaching the course but ensuring that students participated in the practical aspect of it in form of a festival. This, the Vice Chancellor noted, would stamp the love for African culture and communication systems in them. He added that the Department under the Headship of Dr Ottah had performed excellently in instilling the culture of academic zeal in the students.
Prof Abdulkadir who was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Administration, Prof Taiye Oluwagbemi, used the occasion to warn the students against involvement in examination malpractices and other unacceptable traits, adding that the university would not hesitate to deal decisively with offenders.
On his part, the Chairman of the Festival, Prof David Menegbe expressed joy that African culture was being revived by the programme. He said there was a difference between culture and fetish practices, noting that African culture should be seen as the decent and morally upright exhibitions of the typical African as agaist evil practices like killing of twins, female genital mutilation and dangerous widowhood rites.
He called on other universities in Nigeria and Africa to key into the celebration of African Communication Systems so as to revive the rather obscure values of the continent.
A special guest of honour from the political class in Kogi State, the Administrator of Idah Local Government Area, Hon Hilary Amodu said he had been enthused by the performance of the student troupes. He asked them to prepare to perform during the forth-coming Igala Cultural Festival in August this year.
The Head of Department of Mass Communication, Dr Gabriel Ottah, had in a welcome address, thanked the students and the guests for their efforts. He said the course was meant to appreciate the typical African media of old as represented in the village town criers, the emissaries, the incantations, use of idiophones, music, proverbs, folk tales and moonlight games.
Dr Ottah lamented that the decency and moral uprightness with which Africans operated in the past had given in to modern day civilisation which has inclined the present generation to cyber crimes, terrorism, kidnapping, armed robbery and corruption in public and private places.
He said if African culture and communication of old were revived, morality would return and African society would be a better place.
African Communication Festival, tagged AfcomF 2019, was attended by the Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Prof Adesola Ogidiolu, lecturers in the Department of Mass Communication and other departments and students.
The festival featured performances in form of drama, music and dance.
