By ABEL JOHNGOLD
The National Association of Seadogs (a.k.a Pyrates Confraternity), Vito Corsica Deck (Aniocha/Oshimili and Ika Federal Constituencies), last Saturday, 15th July, 2023, concluded her celebration of the year 2023 Feast of Barracuda (FOB) with scintillating lectures
This year’s celebration tagged “Effective Home Management Towards Attaining An Effective And Better Home”, which was chaired by Mr. Okuma Aghogho, a retired Permanent Secretary in Delta State Civil Service, had in attendance members of the Pyrates Confraternity with their respective families, members of the Civil Society Organizations, journalists, some members of Faith Based Organizations (FBOs) as well as other invited guests.
The lectures were delivered by Patricia Arinze (Mrs) and Dr. Eseoghene Oluwasemilore Enejedu, a dietician, while Comrade Vivian Nkechika, an ace broadcaster/Presenter with the Delta Broadcasting Service (DBS), served as the moderator of the day.
In his welcome address, the Cap’n of Vito Corsica Deck of NAS, Engr Emeka Okolo, stated that the Feast of Barracuda was an annual event of the Pyrates Confraternity where salient national issues were discussed
and possible solutions presented.
He asserted that “In today’s world, managing our home effectively has become more crucial than ever, that we often find ourselves balancing multiple roles and responsibilities making it help us run our households smoothly.
“In this lectures, we will explore various aspects of home management upon areas such as budgeting, Time Management, Meal Planning and Home Maintenance.
“We have arranged expert speakers and facilitators with Great wealth of experience in this field, our expectation is that they will share invaluable insights and practicable techniques that can be implemented immediately at home.” Engr. Emeka Okolo added.
Presenting her paper themed “REQUIREMENT FOR EFFECTIVE HOME MANAGEMENT TOWARDS ACHIEVING A BALANCED AND HAPPY HOME”, the Keynote speaker, Patricia Arinze, opined that “currently the country’s economy was tainted with gloom. The skyrocketing prices of goods and services, many Nigeria seem to agree that getting on with their daily lives has been pretty difficult and indeed, the country is teetering dangerously on the edge of the abyss.”
She said there was need for a clarion call in order to rejuvenate the economy and save it from total collapse that the situation had brought about an increase in the poverty situation in our various homes and society.
According to Arinze “For many homes, this is a challenging time and it requires a lot of sacrifice and adjustment and prudence in the management of limited resources to navigate the economic crisis. We should not allow the current economic situation to degenerate into medical problem such as hypertension. Some spouse can be intolerant and that can create tension in the family. We should show love even amid these challenging situations. And above all, we should surrender all our problems to God.”
Taking her turn to lecture the audience on the topic “Embracing Good Nutrition As A Woman To Ensure A Healthy You And A Healthy Family”, a dietician with the Asaba Specialist Hospital, Dr. Eseoghene Oluwasemilore Enejedu, stressed the need for every adult to see exercising as a daily ritual.
Enejedu urged adults to be mindful of what they consumed and maintain good hygiene to live a healthy living.
In a research, Spadeng.com researched that the concept of the Feast of Barracuda is derived from the experience of Seafarers of old who encountered the Barracuda, a large predatory tropical marine fish and an opportunistic predator that preyed on other aquatic lives and sometimes humans.
Oral traditions has it that sailors and merchants of old saw this predator as a huge impediment to their smooth sail, travel and trades. Because the barracuda was considered an impediment to seafarers, they would feast on it at any point where they were able to conquer it. Relating the idea to NAS, the event puts forward topical issues that militates against the attainment of an egalitarian society for debates and possibly proffer solutions. Therefore, such gathering is celebrated as the Pyrates Confraternity’s Feast of Barracuda (FOB).
The highlight of the event was the unveiling of the “Barracuda” by the Chairman of the occasion, Mr. Aghogho Okuma, as participants feasted on it with utmost excitement.
