As Amali delivered 7th inaugural and 2nd valedictory lectures, he calls for use of traditions to solve problems

|By Musa Ishaq

Professor Idris O. O. Amali, a professor of oral poetry at the Federal University of Lafia (FULafia), has presented his professorial inaugural lecture and valedictory lecture, urging Nigeria’s minority ethnic groups to find solutions to their problems in their traditions.

He said: “Tradition can be used as a tool to solve various challenges bedeviling society.”

Amali’s inaugural lecture was titled: “Oral Poetry as Repository of Knowledge: An Investigation of Idoma Alekwaafia Masquerade Poetry.”

The lecture was held at the Adamu Adamu twin lecture hall in the Permanent Site Campus of FULafia.

In the lecture Amali argued that unless serious attention was paid to the issue of ethics development, minority Nigerian groups would become endangered, lamenting that some students did not know how to greet in their mother tongue.

Speaking on Alekwaafia masquerade, Professor Amali said he looked at Alekwu institutions which emanated from the Idoma traditional beliefs.

He said Alekwu cultural practice among Idoma people was intended to uphold morals, respect and dignity for one another.

Amali posited that “Alekwu is a traditional god of the Idoma, popularly believed amongst the people to have the power to protect, reward and punish sons and daughters of the land. Idoma believe that it could punish anyone who goes contrary to the morals, norms, cultures or traditions laid down.”

Delivering his valedictory lecture, with the theme: “The Wisdom of Our Nation is Dying: Nigerian Proverbs as an Endangered Genre,” Amali said “the paper dwelt on the derailment of Nigerian languages which is the custodian of Nigerian proverbs and made some far reaching recommendations.”

He lamented that African proverbs were fast dying, pointing out that “this could not be far from the lack of poetic and proverbial richness.”

He challenged contemporary Nigerian writers of traditional institutions to look at the use of language, saying: “Proverbs in traditional environment are the nerve centre of communication.”

He called on parents and youths to embrace their mother’s language, pointing out that that could help in bringing back the lost glory of the cultures.

Amali dedicated his inaugural and valedictory lectures to Professor Shehu Abdul Rahman, describing him as “dogged and organised gentleman who does not sleep in his task of making FULafia to be among the best universities in Africa.”

Earlier, in his address, the Chairman of the occasion and Vice-Chancellor, Federal University of Lafia (FULafia), Prof. Shehu Abdul Rahman, described Amali “as a successful academic who has mentored many distinguished professors in his field and whose numerous academic works and presentations attest to his contributions to knowledge in his field.”

Welcoming participants to the occasion, Prof. Josephine Odey, the Chairperson, Inaugural Lecture Committee of the University, said that Professor Amali sojourn into African oral literature would maximally benefit not only Idoma people but other minority groups in Nigeria.

She thanked the vice-chancellor for supporting the committee, commending guests for gracing the occasion.

Amali exited from the service of the University after completing his mandatory years of service in different Nigerian universities.

The event witnessed the presence of the Vice-Chancellor, University of Maiduguri, Professor Aliyu Shugaba, and many other important dignitaries.