THE success of 2014 Osun Osogbo Festival has confirmed the connection and intensity of the tourism sector to the people and how quickly it can recover in the midst of crisis.

However, the festival witnessed slimmer patronage with the absence of the Odu’a among others, but the domestic patronage has shown that it is the people’s festival with the significant number of cultural enthusiasts that converged on the grove for the annual rite to the Osun goddess.

Even with the Ebola scare, the festival also recorded a marginal influx of foreign tourists and Osun devotees from Brazil and visitors from within Nigeria.

Many believed that the ingenuity of the age-long festival of the people has become a point of reference and nothing can disrupt it because of the norms, value and heritage it holds to their existence while others said the degree of campaign mechanism at mobilising rather than discouraging people, put together by the organisers paid off at the end.

Notwithstanding, the festival started on a good note with the votary maid setting out the procession at about 10:00am to the Ojubo Osun (Osun shrine) at the grove.

In earnest, the procession progresses with a good outing and attracted spectacle and admiration from devotees, tourists and visitors who thronged the grove in their numbers.

Restriction of visitors did not change our patronage —Fakeye

Mrs Olaleke Fakeye, the Regional Trade Marketer for MTN, South-West said that there was no regret despite the restriction of visitors to this year’s Osun osogbo festival.

According to Fakeye, “MTN never regretted collaborating with the organisers and the government of Osun State in hosting the annual festival because not only help to reach our subscribers, but also created a rallying point to celebrate the people’s heritage.

“We did every programme that we organised for the children and people of Osun State and gave out a special gift to the winner of the football competition that we organised.

“We witnessed a larger crowd in our MTN stage. I think it was quite successful, “ Fakeye said.

She added that they have been partnering with Osun government for over eight years and there was not much difference in their sales this year when compared with the previous year 2013.

Mrs Nike Okundaye, the founder of Nike Art Gallery, said that this year’s festival was memorable as there was no record of casualties throughout the celebration.

Okundaye, however commended the security operatives at this year’s edition of the Osun Osogbo festival for not only being around, but also giving maximum security to visitors. According to her, “The crowd was not much and the security agencies did a good job.”

Speaking on tourist patronage, Okundaye said, “My products were patronised by few people, but the patronage was not like the previous year.

“We hope next year’s edition (2015) will be much better than this year as we pray for better things ahead, “Okundaye said.

We have cultural ties with Nigeria —Brazilian tourists

Mr Paulo Oliveira, the Director of Studies, Centro de Orunmila in Brazil called for stronger cultural ties between Nigeria and Brazil.

Oliveira who led a Brazilian delegation to the Osun Osogbo festival despite the Ebola scare said that Brazil has similar culture with Nigeria, adding that their traditional way of worship is not different from the Yoruba traditions.

“We remove our cap before greeting our traditional rulers, we as well prostrate to greet our traditional rulers just like the way Yoruba people do.

“We eat, dance and worship the same way Yoruba people do and most of us are traditional worshippers,” Oliveira said.

The director said that the origin of some of the Brazilians is from Oduduwa, the forefather of Yoruba land in Ile-Ife, Osun State.

“I believe that majority of Brazilians are not foreigners, but Nigerians. You can trace our origin to be from Ile-Ife.

“ Brazilians believe that we are Yorubas and not foreigners by history since our forefathers were enslaved to the foreign country where they eventually married white men and gave birth to us.

Oliveira said that in some part of Brazil they still worship Sango, Obantala, Sopona, Oya, Ogun and Irumole.

“These are the things they left behind for us to worship, and would continue to be a generation thing because it was what our forbearers identified with and transferred to us. “ he said.

“We share the same blood, traditions, norms and culture, so Nigerians and Brazilians are brothers and sisters.

“That is the more reason why we do attend the Osun Osogbo festival in order to embrace our cultural heritage and traditions of our forefathers,” he said.

Hospitality industry lost huge patronage to Ebola, Commissioner

The Osun Commissioner for Tourism and Culture, Mr Sikiru Ayedun, last Thursday said that the hospitality industry in the city lost huge patronage to Ebola scare in the country.

Ayedun added that it was not only hospitality industry that was affected, adding that the commercial buses and drivers, arts and crafts sellers, food vendors, motor bicycle operators, business women and men were all affected.

“Visitors should not take offense of that action, the government needs to do that for the safety of the indigent,” Ayedun said.

“As we are aware, Ebola is a disease that is common in the society now. It requires adequate attention to control it and the safety of our citizens matters most to us, therefore, we need to control the influx of visitors coming into the state.

He said Osun state ministry of health had embarked on sensitisation awareness and campaign on how to curtail ebola in the state.

“In 2015, the hospitality industry will enjoy better patronage than this year. Therefore, the hotel operators should bear with the government, “He said.

Tourism ’ll be major source of govt’s revenue in 2016 —Adviser

The Special Adviser to the Governor of Osun State on Culture and Tourism, Mr Oladipo Soyode, has said that the tourism sector would be a major source of revenue for the state in 2016.

While applauding the effort invested by Governor Aregbesola at giving the Osun Osogbo grove a facelift said the government is also extending its tentacle to other untapped tourism sites to bring them to international standard.

Some of the tourism sites that have been upgraded include Erin-Ijesa waterfall, the Oba’s palace, state museums and ancient buildings among others.

“The few tourism sites that were developed have brought about development in the state and also attracted influx of tourists into the state.

“We have not started enjoying the money spent in developing the tourism sites yet but with time, we will start enjoying it.”

Giving a vivid assessment of the 2014 edition of Osun Osogbo, the Special Adviser acknowledged the low patronage, which he attributed to the prevailing Ebola crisis, thereby implored tourists, visitors and allied tourism investors to bear with the government.

Caution on Ebola did not affect our programmes —Olumoko

The Osun Osogbo Festival Marketing Consultant, Mr Ayo Olumoko has said that despite the restriction of visitors in the state, the event was still successful because everything went well as no programme was cancelled.

“The issue of Ebola only affected the income of business men and women of the state.”

Olumoko agreed on the government’s decision on restriction of foreign and non resident visitors, which he said was better than for the indigenes to be affected by Ebola.

“The money that will be spent in treating Ebola will be more than the money that would be realised by the business owners in the state,” Olumoko said.

Olumoko who is optimistic about the trend of innovations and sponsors support affirmed that next year’s edition of the festival would be better and more colourful than previous years.

Osun Osogbo festival, platform for cultural exchange —NTDC boss

Mrs Sally Mbanefo, Director-General, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) , who was enthusiastic by the performance of the Children Cultural Fiesta sponsored by the corporation, lauded the age-long festival in Osun State.

She said that the festival is a veritable platform used to showcase the people’s heritage and a channel for cultural exchange to the world.

“Osun Osogbo festival is one of the special events which is listed in the tourism calendar for marketing to domestic and international tourists and visitors,” Mbanefo said.

The NTDC boss explained that the rationale behind the partnership with organisers of the festival was to promote cultural heritage to Nigerians in Diaspora vis-a-vis the world.

She noted that the collaboration was part of the corporation’s mechanism not only to promote the festival, but also to get statistics and data of local and foreigners, tourists to help plan for future celebration.

“The data will give us a sound idea of the totality of the festival and in turn, it would avail the Federal Government the technical knowhow at improving on their commitment and support to boost patronage in subsequent festival,” she said.

Mbanefo expressed satisfaction at the decency and efforts of the festival marketing consultant, Mr Ayo Olumoko at making the 2014 edition a success.

She pledged the Federal Government’s continual support at making the festival a rallying point for domestic and international tourists.

TRIBUNE

STILL recuperating from the ordeal subjected to by the security operatives during the recently-held governorship election in Osun State, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, Chief Wale Afolabi, on Monday in Owerri narrated to journalists how he was arrested by some security operatives in the state and detained for some hours before he was released.

 According to Afolabi who is attending a six-day yearly general conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) at the Imo International Conference Centre, Owerri, said was allegedly forced to move with the operatives to an undisclosed destination just few hours to the election, adding that he found himself at a location where he met several others in captivity, including prominent members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He said that he was asked to follow a lady from the Department of State Service (DSS) after making statements.

He noted that the issue would be brought to the notice of the NBA conference on human rights abuses.

Afolabi said: “I was not able to vote that day.  As a result, I was disenfranchised. It saddened me that that was the first time in my life that I did not cast my vote in an election.”

The former Speaker of Osun State House of Assembly disclosed that he found about 800 people also crowded at the detention camp, regretting why the federal authorities deployed about 17, 000 security men to police the poll.

 “As I speak with you, we have about 800 people that were not able to vote.

Accompanied by the Osun State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Kolapo Alimi, a lawyer, Afolabi accused the security operatives of deliberately arresting people and not allowing them to cast their votes.

“The illegal arrest was to prevent some people from voting. You cannot trample on the fundamental rights of the people without going to court.” he said.

THE GUARDIAN

NO fewer than 40,000 tourists have visited Olumirin Waterfalls at Erin Ijesa, Oriade Local Government Area of Osun State in the last one year, the chairman of the state Tourism Board, Mr Abimbola Daniyan, has said.

Daniyan, who described tourism as a critical sector with greater potentials of generating revenues for the nation expressed the commitment of the incumbent administration in Osun to explore the benefits of various tourist sites for the economic growth of the state.

According to him, “we would continue to give priority attention to the tourism sector, which is a money spinner to grow the economy of our state. In the last one year, efforts have been made to implement the Osun Tourism Master Plan (OTMP) and the main objective of the OTMP is the realisation of the tourism potentials of Osun by converting the natural heritage for business growth and wealth creation.

While contending that frantic efforts had been made during the period under review to approach genuine investors in collaborating with the tourism board to develop some of the sites, most especially Olumirin waterfalls in Erin-Ijesa and Ayikunugba waterfalls in Oke-Ila to international standard, Daniyan noted that the state was already getting positive responses from local and international investors.

“We understand that tourism development is capital intensive in nature and no government can handle it alone and we are already getting positive responses from local and international investors”, he asserted.

TRIBUNE

Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, has reiterated the commitment of his administration to the development of the agricultural sector.

He said it is the determination of his government to make the sector profitable to farmers and provide food for the state.

Aregbesola, who stated this through the State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Wale Adedoyin, during a meeting with members of farm settlers council across the state, said the present administration will continue to support farmers by providing necessary farm inputs and agricultural facilities such as ferterlizers, seedlings, chemicals and so on at subsidised rates.

He added that the government has also reduced land use fees to one thousand naira (N1,000), which will due after 24 years for arable crops while cash crops is 49 years which are renewable after the specified years of use.

The commissioner however implored the farm settlers to henceforth ignore any issue that come to them without the authority of his ministry.

Also, the Director, Agric Services, Mr Kola Ajisekola, enjoined all Farm Settlers to keep on abiding by the state government agricultural policy to continue  to enjoy the dividends of democracy which the administration of Aregbesola will continue to give.

Responding on behalf of the farm settlers, Mr Aderemi Oyetunji from Mokore Farm Settlement thanked the administration of Ogbeni Aregbesola on its positive efforts to produce  food massively in the state while stating that they are Solidly behind the government on its various laudable programmes across the state.

Others present at the meeting are the coordinating Director Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Bukola Aluko, Directors, Agric Officers as well as Farmers.

DAILY INDEPENDENT

SIR: In the heat of the global human carnage that was the Second World War, Britain’s famed politician and war-time leader, Winston Churchill, gave a famous speech on the floor of the House of Commons to update the House on the progress of the war. He addressed many themes and then rounded off on the pungent rallying note to his compatriots: “Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, ‘This was their finest hour.”’

And on this very note, Churchill gave a significant new insight into the affairs of humankind. He facilitated our capacity to see that every human being, irrespective of his stations in life, must have some moments in his existence that can truly be adjudged to be ‘his finest hour’. The only difference is that, more often than not, famous men and women enjoy the privilege of public inquest and assessment into their lives such that it is they alone who are most frequently thought to have such moments in their lives.

But the truth is that such moments of indisputably outstanding performance in whatever one does is far from being the exclusive preserve of the famous and the celebrated of human species. Rather, even the most lowly placed and unassuming do have such moments in their lives. The crucial distinction is the fact that such moments in the lives of the ordinary man are unknown to the public and are therefore left unsung.

And so it is with the Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola – a man whose character qualities have earned him a deserved place in the sun.

A close contact with him would reveal a man of strong character and amiability. One who knows exactly what he wants and goes for it. He aims high and matches those high aims with steely determination and doggedness. He is an engaging speaker whose high intellect contrasts sharply with what you tend to see from afar. He is a man of deep conviction who stubbornly clings unto his beliefs.

Perhaps this explains why he has the capacity to attract opposite emotions in equal measure of intensity. Those who love him are unflinching loyal. Those who don’t are diehard opponents. But in fairness to the man, and contrary to what one might be tempted to deduce from his political activist posture, he is someone with genuinely accommodating spirit. He engages with the people across all social strata right from the political ‘treetop’ to the grassroots.

 All of these have come into play in his political career in recent years. His rise to the governorship seat occurred in extraordinary circumstances that were filled with mortal dangers and high-wire political intrigues. It took over three years of resolute and relentless battle through the courts to prove his victory at the 2011 polls. His re-election for a second term of office on Saturday August 9 happened in no less intriguing political fashion.

But Aregbesola’s greatest moment was to come the day after the election on Sunday when he rode triumphantly to the Nelson Mandela Freedom Square to address his supporters. Irrespective of what greater glory he may still step into in the days, months and years to come, Aregbesola’s triumphant entry to Freedom Square on Sunday August 10, and his grand reception by an enthusiastically massive crowd, would go down in history as arguably his Finest Hour.

Folabi Jimoh, Ibadan, Oyo State

GUARDIAN

The Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, Mr. Kayode Idowu, has said that the recent governorship election in the State of Osun recorded the highest number of voters’ turnout in the history of Nigeria.

Idowu, who disclosed this in a telephone interview with OSUN DEFENDER during the week, said promptness of the voters to the polling units, retrieval system and conduct of the voters, among others, were used as judging parameters for conclusion.

He noted that the state governorship poll was the best the INEC had ever conducted in the history of Nigeria.

While comparing the election with that of Ekiti State, he said despite the fact that Osun has more local government council areas than Ekiti State, the INEC encountered lesser difficulties than what were obtained in Ekiti State.

He said: “By every parameter, the Osun State governorship election was the best we have ever conducted in recent times. In terms of the time of opening of the polling units, by 8.00am, a large percentage of the voters had already turned out.

“In terms of the conduct of the people, it was the best we have ever had. There was no case of violence anywhere. If you look at the total turnout, it was 56 per cent of the registered voters. If you count the number of people who picked their cards, they were up to 76 per cent. It was the highest in Nigerian history.

“If you look at the retrieval system that helped us in assessing the declaration of the results, it was smooth. In Ekiti State, where we dealt with only 16 local government council areas, it was not as smooth as what we had in Osun State with 30 local government council areas.

INEC has been commended for improving in the area of provision of logistics and promptness of its officers to polling units during the poll, while the state electorate were said to contribute in no small measure to the successful conduct of the poll.

OSUN DEFENDER

THE Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Justice and Equity Organisation (JEO), Mr. Tunde Bafunsho, has disassociated the group from the alleged call for the Osun State governorship election’s cancellation.
Bafunsho said one Mr. James Okoronkwo, who allegedly led a media conference where the demand for the cancellation was made, was “not a member of his organisation and hence cannot represent the organisation in any way, form or manner.”
The right activist, in a statement yesterday, cautioned the media on activities of alleged impostors.
The statement said: “Imposters will do anything to jeopardise the efforts of Nigerians, the Federal Government and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the people of Osun State who came out to vote for the governor of their choice.”
Bafunsho stated that the election that was praised by the Federal Government and Nigerians as well as conducted with huge sum of money with the support of security agencies “cannot be overruled by the selfishness of one man.”
He pleaded with the citizens “to join hands together to ensure a smooth transition,” as the country moves towards 2015 election.
JEO is a member of coalition of civil society organisations in the country.
THE NATION

WITH the conclusion of the just held Osun State Governorship election, won by the incumbent, Rauf Aregbesola, I am of the humble opinion that now is the time everybody in the state irrespective of the real or perceived divides, to rally support for him so that all the far-reaching development programmes, on-going and the newly conceived ones by his administration, are quickly completed and delivered for the overall benefits and relief of all the people in the state.

Now is also the time to assist him not only to sustain the momentum with which he started governance built around the people; which has endeared him to them, but to raise the gear for higher outputs.

Indeed, anything is possible if we have faith, the will and joyful hearts. I know we all have the will to play our parts in this campaign for accelerated development in Osun State. I know we have faith in the present regime and we have the hearts to face the challenges ahead. Our people are urged to support this administration’s laudable programmes of economic reconstruction, social justice, unity and religious tolerance, that will guarantee our present happiness and future prosperity.

The cause of Aregbesola’s regime is the cause of the common people and the less privileged members of our society-the villagers, the labourers, the farmers and those millions of unemployed. It is a cause that compels our serious attention and commitment.

What is therefore left for us as a people of Osun State, is to make a pledge from now on that we will bury all our differences and come out fully to consolidate on the achievements of Ogbeni Aregbesola.

Let the politicians pledge, that they will not misuse the trust and responsibility, thrust on them by our people. Let them pledge, that they will speak for those who have no voice, and to remember those who are forgotten. Let them pledge that they will love us as themselves and that looting of public treasuries will not be their preoccupations.

The challenges for the electorates are to give voices and votes to people of integrity and for those fundamental democratic principles of human freedom, free economic enterprises, self-respect and accountability.

Indeed, Aregbesola’s regime has offered us new hope. New hope of gainful employment and self-respect for those thousands of our school-leavers; graduates-skilled and unskilled through O’YES. New hope of economic recovery, through the dedicated pursuit of individualistic and collective approach to agrarian revolution and small-scale industrialization in the state through O’REAP. New hope of good quality of life for the rural populace through the faithful execution of populist-oriented programmes, like the DAGBOLU scheme, through O’HUB.

Socially, we must build bridges of understanding. And economically, we must narrow the wide gap between the rich and the poor, if we want peace and stability in this country. Indeed, we stand at a great turning point, when Osun State and indeed Nigeria is looking for a new direction, through a second term for Aregbesola and an APC federally controlled government.

A time like this calls for leadership like Aregbesola that can set a firm focus and positive vision for the future and rally the people of Osun behind it. We thank God that at this point in time in Osun State; we have such a leader in the person of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. Let me commend all his good efforts toward ensuring progress in the state since he took charge. However, the governor himself must continue to reinforce the attributes of good leadership with which he is already identified and make more use of homegrown people to man key positions in his second term in office.

The school merger programme by the government should be vigorously pursued, possibly with modifications. The structures being put in place are of world standard and a legacy that will outlive Aregbesola. I am impressed, that the various sites demolished are now been beautified with walkways. Definitely, we need to embrace modernity in all aspects of our life, though no changes come about without temporary pains. Only change is permanent.

Aregbesola’s government has been listening not only to the clamorous voices of the privileged few and the opportunists at the corridor of power, but also the hardly audible voices of the proverbial silent majority.

The governor has declared that his administration does not presume to have a monopoly of knowledge. He has brought ‘dissenters’ into policy discussions, rather than freeze them out. He has invited constructive criticism, because he believes the critics have a right to be heard. We should realize that the lamps of enlightenment are lit by the spark of controversy and that their flame can be snuffed out by the blanket of consensus.

In this regard, we must concede, that out experience in this state between 2003 to 2010 was not particularly edifying. We saw hatred and sorrow on our faces waiting for love and happiness. We saw families divided against themselves, waiting to be brought together again. To find answers to all these unwholesome acts, we must look within ourselves. Let us forget the past and come together to build this state, for nobody else can do it for us because it belongs to all of us. We must close all sullen pages and open a new chapter.

Let us give unalloyed support to Ogbeni Aregbesola, so that those who were left out in the cold in those years of inaction, could be accommodated for positive contributions. Let us know that we cannot learn from one another until we stop shouting at one another; until we speak quietly enough so that our words can be heard as well as our voices.

Let us remember that if we succeed, generations to come will say of us now living, that we mastered our moment. That we helped to make Osun safe and prosperous to live in. This is our summon to greatness. Let us pray that strength and courage abundant be given to us; that the good that lies in each of our hearts may day by day be magnified. That we may come to see more clearly not what divides us, but that which unites us. That the true spirit of this time – its joy, its hopes and above all its binding faith may live among us. Osun State must always be many steps ahead of others.

We must build a virile state and improve the standard of living of our people, because the worth of a nation is the worth of the men and women in it. We must not lose hope, for in ashes there can still be spark. For as the passage in one of the Shakespeare works put it “there is a tide in the affairs of men which taken in time leads to good fortune.” We must not allow this golden opportunity to slip by.

We thank God that August 9th governorship election was devoid of violence and acrimony in whatever form. We should know that our leaders could only govern over the living. All political parties in Osun should come together and join hands with the Aregbesola’s administration. For there is no victor, no vanquished. The victory is larger than Aregbesola, it belongs to the people of Osun State, irrespective of political parties.

 Aregbesola is working, Osun is progressing. For Aregbesola and the people of Osun State, It is a goal scored in a grand style, after an epic and protracted play against concerted forces of fate.

Olumide Lawal, wrote from Ede, Osun State.

GUARDIAN

The government of Osun State has reiterated its commitment to the development of the agricultural sector in a bid to make it profitable to farmers and provide food for the state.

Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Wale Adedoyin, stated this in Osogbo during a meeting with members of farm settlers across the state.

He said the present administration will continue to support farmers by providing necessary farm inputs and agricultural facilities such as fertilisers, seedlings, chemicals and others at subsidised rates.

He added that the government has also reduced land use fees to one thousand naira, which will due after 24 years for arable crops and 49 years for cash crops, stressing that the agreement is renewable after the specified years of use.

The Agric commissioner however implored the farm settlers to henceforth ignore any issue that come to them without the authority of his ministry.

In his address, the Director of Agricultural Services, Mr. Kola Ajisekola, enjoined all farm settlers to keep on abiding by the state government agricultural policy so as to continue to enjoy the dividends of democracy which the administration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola will continue to deliver.

NATIONAL MIRROR

Osun State government has allayed the fear by some civil servants that they may be victimised or punished after Governor Rauf Aregbesola has secured his second term in office.

The State Commissioner for Environment and Sanitation, Olubukola Oyawoye, assured that no one would be victmised on the pattern of voting at the recently concluded governorship election in the state.

Addressing the staff of her ministry during a thanksgiving service, Oyawoye maintained that no indigene of the state, irrespective of their political interests, will be victimised or punished for their roles in the last election.

According to her, “Since it is not in the character of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola to punish, not to talk of victimising anyone, no government staff should entertain any fear, no matter how related or close to any party or interest group in the election”.

She added that since the people of the state voted massively to re-elect Aregbesola for the second term, it is incumbent on all citizens, regardless of political interest, to cooperate with government, to take the state to greater heights.

In the same vein, the Special Adviser on Environment and Sanitation, Bola Ilori, at the occasion, said that Aregbesola’s government will not run a winner-takes-all government,  but will be of benefit to all.

DAILY INDEPENDENT