The celebration of the African Communication System (ACS) Day at the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko (AAUA) is exposing first year students to local cultures. Staging of the event is part of the requirements for their course in ACS.
For students of the Department of Mass Communication of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), Ondo State, it has become a tradition to mark the African Communication System Day. The celebration is part of the requirements for their course.
ACS is offered in tertiary institutions where Mass Communication is taught. AAUA incorporated cultural communication into the course to help improve students’ understanding of their culture.
The event exposes students to the traditional ways of passing information through the town crier, cultural festivals, marriages and folklore.
The Performing Arts students, who also take the course, joined in the celebration to get more exposure to cultural communication.
At the event, held at the university’s Matriculation Ground, students wore traditional attires and featured in cultural displays.
The day began with an early morning awareness as the town crier went about with his gong to alert people of the event. Drummers, singers and dancers also went round the campus, doing their things.
The event featured a play titled: Ilu Ayetoro by students – Bayode Tosin and Oladunni Ifeoluwa.
The play talked about how culture could be practised and still remain modern until the advent of foreigners, who came with their development theory.The ‘Night Ruling Council’(Witches) tried to resist them.
The King, played by Olowokere Olorunsaanu and the ‘Otunba’ played by Adesola Ikulajolu tried to put the village in order until everything returned to normal.
The course Lecturer and Head of Mass Communication Department (HOD), Dr Ifedayo Daramola, said it was necessary to expose the students to traditional ways of life and also to appreciate their cultures.
The African Communication System Day has become a yearly event for first year students to encourage them to remember their cultural background, he said.
Daramola noted the importance of the town crier in the village whom, he said, deserves to be treated well.
“The town crier is an important Chief in the village and should be given the equal respect being accorded to other Chiefs in the palace,” the HOD said.
Earlier, the town crier, acted by Adetunji Jamiu, was given a wife to show his importance in the village.
The HOD highlighted that the kings in those days could have as many as five Oloris (wives) who gave birth to numerous Princes and Princesses.
Daramola called on Africans to appreciate their culture as it aids development.
“Culture has its own way of impacting people and also discouraging vices perpetrated by modern youths,” he said.
The scene of the market women brought back the traditional way of doing business just as the town crier would go round the village to deliver the king’s message to the villagers who would also gather to listen.
The village dancers in their usual display during festivals thrilled the audience with traditional dance steps that got the HOD on his feet to join in the celebration.
As was done in the olden days, fresh palm wine was served as well as traditional foods that whet the people’s appetite.
Some highlights of the event were performances by the dancing troupe, Ewi and African folklore stories that brought back the memories of Moonlight tales being told children at night.
At the event were the former HOD of Mass Communication, Dr Babatunde Oyinade; the former Sub-Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Dr Rapheal Abimbola; a Senior Lecturer in the Department, Dr Ishola Lamidi.
