THESHIELD Garkuwa
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Ambassador (Dr) Bulus Lolo
Chairman, Tuk Ham Organizing Committee
(Protocols)
It is my distinct honor and privilege to address you today on behalf
of the entire Ham Community on the face of this earth. I should begin my remarks by conveying the royal greetings of His Majesty, Dr. Danladi Gyet Maude OON, Kpop Ham, the Paramount Ruler and custodian of the Ham heritage, as well as the entire people of Ham.
Ham Heritage From the onset, let me quickly lay to rest any question that may
arise as to who the Ham people are in the first place.
This is of crucial importance because Ham people have a history that goes
back to antiquity.
They are the custodians of the world renowned Nok Culture and famous Nok Terracotta which dates back to 500
BC. This is not to suggest that their history began in 500 BC, but that as far back as 500 BC, archaeological findings show that they were well advanced in their civilizati.
This is borne out by the discovery of the Nok Terracotta in Nok,Jaba Local Government of Kaduna State which is one of the oldest known historical sculptures
ever discovered in Africa.
The discovery of the Nok Terracotta in the heart of Ham land bears eloquent testimony to the rich history and industry of the Ham people. Ham people are very cognizant of their common ancestry
and heritage. This is why I opened my remarks by conveying the greetings of the number one Ham indigene, His Majesty Dr Danladi Gyet Maude, and I also made bold to add the entire Ham community on the entire face of the earth.
It does not matter where you may go, but please know one important fact, that
whenever and wherever you meet someone and the person identifies himself or herself as Ham, please know that the person
is telling you that he or she carries Ham blood by ancestry or parental lineage.
In April 2017, the Ham people gathered at a historic assembly which they called Ham Rebirth under the leadership of Kpop Ham,
where they discussed with no holds barred, their grievances, challenges and opportunities. At the end of that historic event, they came out with a Charter that opens with the statement, “We the
people of Ham, cognizant of our common ancestry, and mindful of our past and present, affirm our affinity and unity as Ham people”.
The Ham Charter further states, “We attest that our being Ham is neither an expression of intent nor slogan; rather being Ham is the sum total of our existence, including our aspirations, ambitions, beliefs, hopes, values and virtues”.
Moreover, according to the Ham Charter, the Ham people are committed “To cherish and uphold our aspirations, ambitions,
beliefs, hopes, values and virtues in common, and in this regard, undertake to always exhibit courage, confidence, creativity, innovation, independence, industry, hard work, resilience, trust,
valor and vision in our endeavours in the tradition of our forebears”. The commitment does not stop at that, but the Charter states, “We further commit to keep alive the spirit and tradition of
enterprise and excellence that made our forebears pacesetters and leaders of repute”.
With this, I hope I have shed sufficient light on the identity of the Ham people.
Ham Week 2024
Now let me turn my attention to the main purpose of our gathering here this afternoon. You will agree with me that with a rich heritage and pedigree, it is not out of place for Ham people to celebrate
their history.
It is with immense pride and satisfaction that I would like to inform you that for several decades, Ham people have been
holding an annual cultural festival called Tuk Ham Festival. In Ham dialect, called Hyam, “Tuk Ham” simply means “Ham Day”.
From its inception in 1980, the festival usually takes place during the
Easter season and specifically, the Saturday following Good Friday.
It used to be a one day event, but in 2018 the format and duration were changed which gave rise to the present week-long duration.
I am therefore delighted to announce that after a six-year break necessitated by extenuating circumstances beyond our control, we shall be having the 2024 edition of Ham Week which will start on
March 25 and culminate with a Grand Finale on Saturday, March 30, 2024 in Kwain although most of you know the town as Kwoi, Jaba Local Government.
Why Celebrate?
Ham people are deeply religious with belief and faith anchored on monotheism.
They are proud of their Christian, Muslim and traditionalists who affirm their belief in one God called in Hyam, Nom.
Their ancestors were mostly farmers, as is the case with the larger majority even today.
Tuk Ham, now Ham Week, is a period
set aside for introspection on what God has done in the lives of the Ham people in the course of the year. Without God, Ham people can do nothing. Offering gratitude to God is a way of recognizing and affirming the supremacy of God the Almighty Creator and the blessings He bestows. The celebration of Tuk Ham, in word and deed, has dual purposes. First, it is intended by the Ham people to thank God for the harvest of the immediate past farming season.
And second, to pray for the next farming season.
Every other thing in between is subsumed in the spirit of expressing gratitude for a successful harvest and supplication for
a coming successful and bountiful farming season. In this regard, I would like to inform that on Friday, March 29, 2024 all Ham indigenes who are Muslims will offer special Juma’at prayers in the mosques where they may worship.
In the same vein, Ham indigenes who are Christians will also offer special thanksgiving on Sunday, March 31, 2024 in the churches where they may worship.
Pedigree
From its inception, the Ham Festival has been widely known and highly regarded for its variety and innovation.
It is not only a signature event, but is perhaps, without any exaggeration meant
or intended, the foremost socio-cultural festival celebrated by any community in Southern Kaduna.
There is reason and history behind
the popularity of the Ham Festival and why it trumps others in its appeal and acclaim.
In the 1970s when our State bore the name North Central State, Ham cultural groups came first a number of times in socio-cultural State-wide contests that were organized by the State government and open to all communities.
I want to believe that if the curators at the archives of the State are meticulous in their record keeping, there should be ample evidence to corroborate my assertion.
The Ham Festival is celebrated among
the Ham people of Jaba, Kachia and Kagarko Local Government Areas of Kaduna State, as well as Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
The Ham Festival is an event to behold. It is unique in many respects. Even though the people have a common ancestry, they
always offered a beautiful mosaic in the variety of their music and dances.
This uniqueness lends a special character to the Ham Festival and serves as a great attraction to a mix of audiences and
participants cutting across tourists, government officials, historians, investors, local populace and many more from within
and outside Nigeria who converge during the event. In other words, the Ham Festival is a crowd puller and offers ample opportunity to promote business and commercial activities.
Ham Week 2024 Activities
As I have already stated, the Ham Festival took on a new format in 2018. In terms of content and structure, in the course of the
week that the festival will last, there will be different activities comprising free medical outreach, symposium, football tournament, beauty pageant, talent hunt, traditional dances, art and cultural displays, and site visits to historic places in Nok village.
The details, dates and venues for these events are yet to be finalized, but shall be made known as soon as they are ready.
Request
We are holding this press event for a number of reasons. Number one, we want to inform the general public through you that the popular Ham Festival will hold from March 25 to 31, 2024. The high
point of the festival will be Saturday, March 30, 2024 when invitees from all parts of Nigeria and beyond will converge in Kwoi for the Grand Finale to be marked with dances, cultural displays and other
events.
Secondly, we want to use this briefing to kindly request you to give the widest publicity through your various media to the forthcoming 2024 Ham Week.
As members of the Fourth Estate of the Realm, your objectivity and accuracy in reporting will go a long way to put
a positive spotlight on the planned festival.
You can shape the narrative on Ham people and their rich culture.
Thirdly, we would like to invite the government, media houses,
leading corporate organizations and individuals to partner and support the 2024 Ham Week Festival.
Lastly, we would like to invite you to honor us with your presence at the grand finale of our festival on Saturday, March 30, 2024 in
Kwoi, Jaba Local Government.
It remains now for me to thank you all for your presence and attention.
Wishing you a very pleasant weekend in good health and
God’s protection.
