By Bankole Taiwo, Abeokuta
The Director-General of National Centre for Arts and Culture, Otunba Segun Runsewe has described the annual colourful Ojude Oba festival hosted by the Awujale of Ijebu land, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona every third day after Eid-del-Kabir festival as a significant celebration providing big boost to the development of tourism sector in the country.
Otunba Runsewe disclosed this on Friday while speaking at this year Ojude Oba festival.
The DG said he was so happy to discover when he was at the airport on Thursday that over 3500 came into the country to attend this year Ojude Oba festival, saying that the annual celebration of the rich cultural heritage of the Ijebus has continued to get bigger and more colourful helping to grow the tourism sector in the country.
Runsewe lauded the Awujale for establishing the first of its kind museum within the palace saying that the federal government recognised this huge contributions to preserve the cherished traditions of the Ijebus famous for being industrious and business merchants.
The DG while rejoicing with Oba Adetona on the occasion of this year celebration presented three awards to the monarch. The Platinum gold award was for the royal father for setting up the first ever palace museum, the second was the hosting of Ojude Oba festival and the third was for the resourcefulness of the Awujale said to be longest reigning king in the world.
Runsewe said that the federal government will always do all that within its ability to develop the tourism sector due to its potentials to help in creating wealth and income for the country.
The Chairman of the occasion, Dr Olu Oke-Owo while welcoming the participants to the ceremony hailed the resourcefulness and ingenuity of the Awujale for putting up such colourful global festival every year praying that the almighty God will continue to strengthen him and preserve him for many more years to come.
Dr Oke-Owo has however called on the federal government to help with the repair of the section of Sagamu to Ijebu Ode of the Sagamu-Benin expressway saying that the section of the road when repaired would help to open up the axis for more development.
In his short remarks at the event, the Awujale, Oba Sikiru Adetona congratulated the sons and daughters of Ijebu land on the celebration of this year festival.
Oba Awujale urged them all to continue working towards the development of the Ijebu land, Ogun State and Nigeria as a whole.
The royal father who mourned the exit of the late business mogul and founder of FCMB, Otunba Subomi Balogun, the erstwhile Olori Omooba of Ijebu land however said that since life abhors vacuum, after much consultation, it has been agreed that the popular Fuji musician, Alhaji Wasiu Ayinde Marshall from Fidipote family, Ijebu Ode should be the next Olori Omooba of Ijebu land.
Wasiu Ayinde while accepting this honour pledged to use his new office to rally more support for the expansion of the growth, development and prosperity of Ijebu land.
Meanwhile, the governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun has mulled the establishment of a cultural festival aimed at promoting the tradition and culture of the people would be organized in Ogun State.
The State governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun disclosed this at this year’s Ojude Oba festival with the theme, “A Lesson for Religious Harmony”, held at Ijebu-Ode, saying it would take the shape of the Ojude Oba celebration.
According to the governor, the Ojude Oba Festival has the pride of not only the Ijebus, but the entire Ogun East, adding his administration is looking at how it would make a statewide cultural festival like the Ojude Oba, that would bring people from all p…