Swear with deities, Bible and Koran too merciful – Okorocha

Swear with deities, Bible and Koran too merciful – Okorocha

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has expressed the sentiment that politicians should be made to swear with a deity when taking the oath of office .
The governor , who was the guest speaker at the National Institute for Cultural Orientation Quarterly Public Lecture entitled: “ Promoting Culture , Developing the Economy’’ , also expressed concerns over the effects of western culture on the society.
He noted that relegating our culture and embracing the western culture , “ is a problem ” .
He said , “People that go outside their culture have automatically lost their identity . The removal of our culture is a colossal damage done to us by our colonial masters.
“ Culture is a way of life of people. Their food , language, dressing all contributes to giving them an identity .
“ We can fight corruption culturally in the sense that politicians should be made to swear with a deity into office .
“ These deities don ’ t have mercy on anyone once you go contrary to its standard.
“ The Bible and Koran are too merciful . That is why some of us do things without conscience knowing that God is merciful and forgiving . ”
He said that culture and economy were intertwined in so many ways, so separating them would cause harm than good .
He said , “Countries like China , Japan and India have made great impact with culture and tourism. They use their language to teach all the subjects in schools . ’’
He called on stakeholders in the education sector to introduce culture studies into the school curriculum .
The Chairman , Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism , Mr Mathew Urhoghide , said that some of Nigeria ’ s woes were traceable to non -recognition of the impact and effect of culture .
He said , “ Culture is an enabler and driver of sustainable economic development. It is unfortunate that we are not emulating other countries which have taken the advantage in the creative industry .
“ There is the need for the stakeholders to reposition and make the sector relevant in the scheme of things to enable it to generate substantial revenue into the country.
“ The committee is committed to the government ’ s effort to diversify the economy with the special focus on culture and tourism sector. ”
Earlier , Prof . Barclays Ayakoroma , Executive Secretary NICO said the organisation will not relent in its efforts in bringing the cultural endowment of the country to limelight with the support of other stakeholders