I want to showcase Mumuye Culture to the World- Nick Ben

Shonzen James Bernard, NICK-BEN is a proud Mumuye Ambassador and organizer of the Miss Mumuye Nigeria Beauty Pageant, the Social Director National Union of Taraba State Students (NUTASS) in this interview with Taraba Truth and Facts said pageantry could be used as a great tool for the promotion of peace in Taraba State
Can you tell us about your self?
I am a Nigerian, from Taraba state, Yorro local government area to be precise and a Mumuye by tribe, I am the Chief Executive of   Shonzen Empire International doing all kinds of Show-biz and presently a final year student of Taraba State University studying Sociology. My friends and fans call me NICK-BEN.

What inspire you to organize Miss Mumuye Nigeria?

A lot inspired me, I wanted to show people or the world that culture too could be a platform for pageantry not just the western European style of pageantry
I was already into pageantry, so I thought culture should be fused into pageantry too so that the unique culture of the Mumuye people will be highly represented as a tool for peace, sustainable cultural niche, to use culture as a platform to not only promote beauty, brains and ideas but also to use Miss Mumuye Nigeria as a platform to advertise the rich culture of Taraba state and Nigeria at large.
How is the entertainment industry in Taraba?
Well the industry is known as Taraba state entertainment industry (TSEI) we have Jegs Mailafiya as our president, the industry is still a baby industry, there's been little or no support from government and private individuals. It is a combination of comedians, dancers, singers and a host of others. The industry is struggling to be on its feet.
How do you think pageantry and entertainment could be used to promote peace in Taraba State?
Well pageantry is a great tool for the promotion of peace among  youths  because it brings youths together, youths that cut across diverse religions and tribe come together to watch and participate in the contest, it gives these youths a sense of togetherness and belonging, a sense of unity and a patriotic feeling that we need at a time like this. Social activities and entertainment engages youth who are otherwise idle and as such suitable candidates for carrying out acts of wanton destruction of lives and properties and anti-social activities, entertainment and pageantry relaxes the minds of youths and exposes the talented ones among them and gives them a platform to showcase their talent, entertainment gives youth a sense of belonging in the society as it allows them to freely act in their own way. Pageantry and entertainment is a tool to promote peace in Taraba state because it is a forum where diverse people of different religions, tribes, ideologies meet to agree on an issue and this proves that in deed our differences is our strength not the other way round as it is propagated by some evil minded people who choose to use the idea of our differences to preach evil among ourselves.
Pageantry and entertainment would unite people of all ethnicity and religion by bringing them together to compete, share and interact during the camping/coaching period and also during the event by uniting the invited guests.