Osun Osogbo festival: Osun govt targets N7.5b IGR in 4 years

Wednesday, 31 August 2011

CIRCUMSTANCE characterised the 2011 Osun Osogbo festival. The ecstasy was palpable among virtually all the members of Osogbo and the guests, setting the ancient town agog. This was against the backdrop of threatening developments which preceeded the festival.

The grand finale of the festival was historic, as the grove got a facelift, just as the road leading to the grove was tarred, by the Rauf Aregbesola-led administration before the commencement of the festival, to ensure smooth passage of people.

The Arugba, after the necessary rites and rituals, was ushered into the grove by electrifying drumming, dances, dane-gun shots and  series of traditional cognomens, among others.

The chiefs, among other groups, paid obeisance to the Ataoja of Osogboland, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji Olanipekun, Larooye II, while the monarch, in turn, showered prayers on the goups.

Speaking at the event, Governor Aregbesola disclosed that his administration had invited  private investors all over the world to come up with viable proposals, aimed at developing tourism in the state.

Aregbesola, represented by his deputy, Chief Titilayo Laoye-Tomori, said this would help to achieve the state government’s target of increasing its internally generated revenue to N7.5 billion by 2015.

He said that the state was now ripe for outstanding tourism development, adding that the present administration had resolved to accord tourism the attention it deserved.

He said: “Our intention is to increase the revenue base to N7.5 billion by 2015 through tourism; our target is to bring 20,000 tourists from the Diaspora by 2015.
“There is the need to look for other beneficial areas to develop the economy of our state. Tourism will, therefore, complement other economic activities to lift up our economy if properly developed, marketed and promoted, as done in the developed countries all over the world.

“The economic situation in Nigeria and Osun in particular, as of today, poses the need to pursue tourism as a viable economic industry, which has the capability of transforming the country and raising the standard of living of the people.”

The governor, who appealed to the Nigeria Tourism Development Commission (NTDC) to assist the state government to develop tourism, congratulated the people of Osun State on witnessing this year’s Osun Osogbo festival.

In his remarks, the Minister of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, Chief Edem Duke, said that the fact that the state had developed the Osun Osogbo festival to international standard indicated that it was showing light to the rest of the world in the area of tourism.

The Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Olanipekun, commended the state government for making this year’s festival more attractive through the face-lifting of the grove. He  appealed to the Federal Government to take advantage of the tourist attractions to develop the state.

TIT BITS
Sisi Osun Osogbo Pageantry
The Sisi Osun Osogbo pageant, which was held at Heritage Hotel, Osogbo, last Thursday, produced Miss Olamide Olaide as the Sisi Osun 2011; Miss Yusuf Oluwafunmilayo and Miss Akingbolugbo Oluwasetan as the second and third runner-ups, respectively. Other contestants  in the pageantry included: Miss Kehinde Ayodele Esther; Miss Olu Olamide; Miss Ajayi Oluwakemisola; Miss Oladimeji Olaide; Miss Fayoyin Oluwatowo and Miss Farinde Adedolapo Adetunmise.
Osun Osogbo suffered low turnout

The ancienty city of Osogbo did not experience the hustle and bustle that it is known for whenever the festival is being celebrated. This, according to some ardent participants in the festival, was not unconnected with the tussle for the Ataoja of Osogbo stool by the various ruling houses who are contesting the enthronement of Oba Jimoh Olanipekun in the court of law.

A United States of America-based participant, Chief Omotori Adesemowo, who claimed to have been attending the festival for the past eight years, opined that the former governor of the state, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, was always on hand to supervise the activities leading to the main festival, while also rallying support from different quarters for its success.

“However, Governor Aregbesola’s support for the festival was not that encouraging, which I believe is due to the fact that he is a devout Muslim, and as such, might not be committed to the festival wholeheartedly.”

Governor Aregbesola absent
Osun State governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, was absent at the festival, having gone on pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. But he was represented by his deputy, Mrs Titilayo Laoye-Tomori.

NTDC glows
In its usual way of propagating the gospel of tourism  and selling the country via tourism to the whole world, NTDC glowed at the festival. The the corporation’s team, led by the deputy director, press, Mr Akin Onipede, was seen in every nook and cranny of the venue of the festival, with branded T-shirt of the corporation, selling Nigerian tourism to the participants, with emphasis on foreign tourists.

Onipede, in a brief chat with TTH,  said the corporation was committed to making tourism the toast of every Nigerian, and making the nation proud in the comity of nations, through tourism, hence its participation in every tourism activities within and outside the shores of the country.

MTN adds glamour
One of the leading telecommunication outfit in the country, MTN Nigeria, also flaunted its flag at the event to make it more glamorous.

INFOGEM lauded
The official festival marketing consultant, INFOGEM, was lauded for packaging the event to fully consummate the rationale behind its emergence.

The Chief Executive Officer of the company, Mr Ayo Olumoko, in a brief chat with TTH, described the event as one of the most peaceful and successful in the annals of the event, as against the negative perspective of many towards this year’s edition of the festival.

“We will not relent in our efforts at selling the festival to the whole world, to further make Nigeria proud in tourism in the comity of nations,” Olumoko said.

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