UMU IKA (Ika Sons/Daughters) "OUR MOST VALUABLE ASSET"

By: ikanewspring Mood: full of life Date: 01/26/2011 01:36:14 Music: Cultural Music

Ika People of Delta North Senatorial District in Delta State of Nigeria are endowed with natural and human resources. Ika Sons and Daughters feature prominently amongst the movers and shakers of the economy of delta state and federal government of Nigeria.

Many Ika men and women have achieved huge success in various field of human endeavor. The success has been credited to hard work, vision, focus, respect for parents and elders as well as humility and total commitment to social, economic and political development of Ika land

Umu-Ika (Ika People) all over the world are bold, friendly, outspoken, purpose-driven and culturally blended especially the women.

Umu-Ika, the future leaders of Ika people should be inspired with Ika Identity and empowered by parents and Ika leaders through any means possible so that our tradition and cultural heritage would not be lost in transit especially now that it appears to be fashioning out before our very own watch.

The parents of Umu-Ika worldwide should take serious responsibility to impact knowledge of Ika culture and tradition particularly the "IKA LANGUAGE" on Ika children while the Leaders of Ika Community Development Unions Worldwide should top their various agenda with aggressive drive for membership.

Ironically, the present trend whereby some of our youths are focusing on career dreams without complimenting it with Ika culture and tradition through fellowships with Ika people or attendance of meetings/social events  can be counter-productive.

This trend must not be allowed to continue if our vision is to hand over a dynamic, prosperous, cultured and technologically-influenced future to our children, "suffice it say" that we have to retract our present steps to be able to make the right move.

My thinking and recommendations therefore should be as follows:

First, we must encourage Umu-Ika all over the world to make Ika or Ibo speaking people their first choice in marriage. Marriage institution is the bed rock of our family systems which plays a very important role of shaping any society into greatness.

Secondly, we need to start modeling and re-branding Umu-Ika by ensuring that they receive proper Ika home upbringing and value, especially the girls and by sending them out for schooling and holidaying in places where Ika language and culture are available for them to pick interest.

Thirdly,we need to set a standard; A real Ika man or woman must posses "Ika Quality" (IQ). Evidently, it would not  sound funny at all if an Ika  political candidate or aspirant is disqualified by an electoral panel from contesting an election into state house of assembly or federal house of representative if such candidate lacked such a vital enabling grass root value which endeared such person to his or her people and off course which is a master key to unlock or decode issues or communicate  effectively and confidentially with the constituency.

On behalf of Ika Nation, I want to use this opportunity to appreciate and thank all Ika men and women home and abroad, particularly the traditional rulers for their invaluable contributions to the development of Ika land especially in the area of protecting and preserving our culture and tradition - "the very priceless heritage" our fore-fathers handed over to our fathers who passed it on to us and which we are duty bound to leave in the custody of our children.

I will conclude with this quote: "It benefits us to debate about where Ika people came from but it profits us to talk about the future of Ika people" .  Ika Etumuse

Ni Ika Linma! Ya kanyi cho!

Etumuse is an author based in Houston Tx, USA