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General news

Saraki harps on tourism potentials of Ojude-Oba, commends organisers

Ojude-Oba
By Temitope Salami
Ijebu-Ode (Ogun), Aug. 23, 2018 (NAN) Senate President  Bukola Saraki on Thursday said that the Ojude-Oba festival in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun,  has the potential to transform tourism in the country.

Saraki, who was the special guest of honour at the Ojude-Oba festival held in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun, also commended the organisers of the event for giving it international recognition.

Saraki said the country would do well to draw from the festival’s potential to drive alternate income generation and create additional employment opportunities for indigenous youths.

The senate president used the opportunity to call on Nigerians to remain united to foster growth and development, stressing the importance of peace in nation-building.

“The Ojude-Oba can be a source of revenue that can employ thousands of people and promote the image of the country in good stead.

“The festival today is amongst the top carnivals in our nation when we talk about the resilience and dynamics of culture as the Ojude-Oba is a reference point.

“It is my hope that we can enforce and promote the ideals of the festival in culture and tourism development.

“This festival is a testament to the fact that, where there is strong leadership, we can see progress in the country.

“Ojude-Oba is already setting the pace and we hope we can see more of this in Africa as I congratulate you for this historical feat,” Saraki said.

The Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona thanked the senate president and Ijebu indigenes for the honour and support toward the success of this year’s  Ojude-Oba festival.

Adetona called for continued peace in Ijebuland and urged politicians not to heat up the polity as the 2019 general elections approach.

The monarch also urged the Federal Government to explore more ways to exploit the potentials of tourism for the socio-economic development of the nation.

In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) on the sidelines of the event, Mr Muyiwa Oladipo, the Ogun Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, said the  Ojude-Oba festival was promoting the culture of the Ijebu people and Ogun in general.

Ben-Murray Bruce, the senator representing Bayelsa East in the Senate, also said the Federal Government was not doing enough to tap the potentials of tourism.

He called for improved budgetary allocation to tourism with a focus on revamping the sector for the benefit of future generations.

“Tourism is a gold mine we have not fully exploited, it’s a business with endless possibilities,” Bruce said.

NAN reports that the event was widely attended by guests and visitors in spite of the intermittent rainfall during the programme.

Gov. Ibikunle Amosun, who was absent for the first time since the inception of his administration in 2011, was represented by his deputy, Mrs Yetunga Onanuga.

There was mild drama at the event when some people wielding brooms in support of the All Progressives Congress began shouting  “Sai Baba, ” a  political slogan associated with President Muhammadu Buhari.

They were,  however,  reprimanded by the Awujale, who said  that the  Ojude-Oba was  not a platform for  partisan politics. (NAN)
TDS/KOLE/OJO
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(Edited by Remi Koleoso/Mufutau Ojo)

General news

Ojude-Oba: Globacom storms Ijebu-Ode with Mr Real, others

Ojude-Oba
By Temitope Salami
Ijebu-Ode (Ogun), Aug. 22, 2018 (NAN) Globacom, the telecommunications giant and sponsor of the 2018 Ojude-Oba Festival in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun, has announced that it has lined up three iconic artistes to excite guests at the event.

The company made the announcement on Wednesday in a statement issued by Mr Afolabi Otufowora, Globacom Marketing and Communications Head, Lagos/Ogun Region.

The trio,  according to the statement, include  the “legbegbe” crooner, Mr Real; Idowest, the “shepeteri” creator and Oluwafemi Oke-Eko, the street ambassador popularly known as “Slimcase.’’

Globacom said the artistes would entertain at the 2018 Ojude-Oba Beauty Pageant scheduled for Thursday.

The statement added that a road show had already begun in Ijebu-Ode and environs to generate awareness about activities lined up for the festival.

NAN reports that the Ojude-Oba festival is celebrated two days after the Eid-el-Kabir celebration, with this year’s edition having  Senate President, Bukola Saraki, as the special guest of honour. (NAN)
TDS/OJO
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(Edited by Mufutau Ojo)

Entertainment

Ijebu Ode wearing festive look ahead of Eid-el-Kabir, Ojude-Oba festivals

Festivities

By Temitope Salami

Ijebu-Ode (Ogun), Aug. 20, 2018 (NAN) Few hours to the celebration of the Eid-el-Kabir and few days to the celebration of the annual “Ojude-Oba’’ Festival, scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 23, enthusiasm is at a fever-pitch in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun.

 

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that socioeconomic activities in Ijebu-Ode where the “Ojude-Oba’’ Festival is celebrated annually have continued to witnesses positive spikes as one enters the ancient town.

 

Both the indigenes as well as visitors, tourists and dealers in souvenirs have begun to arrive the state for the annual carnival-like “Ojude-Oba’’ Festival which holds on Aug.23 with the theme: Ojude-Oba: Celebration of Rich Cultural Heritage.

 

NAN reports that the “Ojude-Oba’’ Festival is an annual reunion of sons and daughters of Ijebu-Ode, their in-laws, and invited guests usually held two days after the Eid-el-Kabir celebration.

 

A correspondent of NAN who went round the town on Monday observed a beehive of activities by residents who had their rams and other livestock tied within their compounds for the celebrations of both festivals.

 

Also, it was observed that hotels in the town and its environs had been fully booked while operators of outdoor bars, tricycles, motorcycles and relaxation spots had begun to count their gains.

Ijebu-Ode, a town predominantly occupied by Muslims, comes alive every Eid-el-Kabir alongside the age-old “Ojude-Oba’’, which is celebrated to honour the Awujale of Ijebuland.

NAN also reports that several corporate organisations had displayed their advert billboards as a way of participating in the celebration of the two festivals.

 

Ishola Fatungase, a resident of the town and a paint dealer, said that they were looking forward to a memorable celebration of the “Ojude-Oba’’ Festival.

 

He, however, appealed to the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), in charge of power distribution in the area, to make the event memorable through uninterrupted power supply.

 

“The icing on the cake for us will be full-scale-power supply throughout the period of the sallah to make it lively for us as well as being able to preserve our drinks and consumables.

 

“For me as a Muslim, it is the only time of the year I get to see most of my  family members as they are  located in different parts of the country and outside the country,” he said.

 

Another respondent, Gbenga Otukoya, a civil servant, lamented the high cost of rams this year as compared to the same period last year.

 

“I just returned from Imowo Eleran market, where livestock is considerably sold cheaply. Yet, I could not afford the type of ram I wanted due to the high price.

 

“A medium-sized ram, sold last year for N60, 000 is now N85, 000 at the market, while cows sell for between N120, 000 and N180, 000 or even higher depending on the quality.

 

“A large ram is going for between N120, 000 and N150, 000.

 

“We are in a joyful mood as expected but the only downturn is that most people are not as buoyant financially to celebrate the sallah and Ojude-Oba as expected,” Otukoya said.

 

Mr Dare Odusanya, a car dealer based in Chicago, USA, said he arrived in the country two weeks ago to have ample time to savour the holiday mood in the town alongside his other family members.

 

“The high point for me apart from the sallah break is the Ojude-Oba festival which is celebrated with so much pomp and pageantry.

 

“The festival is colourful and unique as it’s a spectacle to behold given the magnitude of attractions and displays that grace the occasion.

 

“I strategically fix my vacation to correspond with this occasion and also invite my white friends to Nigeria just to grace the grandeur of the “Ojude-Oba’’ Festival,” Odusanya said.

 

The Chairman of the Ojude Oba Planning Committee, Otunba Wahab Osinusi had previously assured participants coming to witness it of maximum security and safety.

 

“The festival is not only about equestrian display, parade of culture and tradition, merry-making and funfair.

 

“It is also to boost commerce and trade in its entirety as commercial and trading activities are at their peak before, during and after the festival.

 

“All the facilities; hotels, restaurants, artisans, craftsmen, transporters, professionals, market men and women, among others are fully engaged with several multiplier corporate effects,” Osinusi said.

 

He assured intending visitors and guests coming for the event of adequate medical services, security and traffic management saying all security agencies were working assiduously to ensure a hitch free celebration.

 

Several hundreds of thousands of people including visitors and guests from diverse cultures and nationalities are expected to grace the 2018 edition of the Ojude-Oba Festival that began over 100 years ago. (NAN)

 

TDS/PAD
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Edited by Peter Dada

 

 

 

 

 

 

General news

312  corps members battle for honours in NYSC competition

Festival
By Temitope Salami
Sagamu (Ogun), July 9, 2018 (NAN) No fewer than 312 corps members are participating in  the Interstate Zonal Preliminaries of the 2018 National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) Sports and Cultural Festival  holding in Ogun.

The teams drawn from Lagos, Ondo, Osun, Kwara, Ekiti and Oyo states flagged-off the event  on Monday at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp in Sagamu.

In his  address of welcome, Mr John Okpo, the Ogun NYSC State Coordinator, commended the early arrival of the participants and urged them to be disciplined in the course of the competition.

He described the festival, which was instituted in 1984, as a tool for cultural integration across the country.

Okpo explained that the event was aimed at instilling  a competitive spirit in  corps members while serving as a platform for social interaction.

He said participants would  challenge themselves in football, volleyball, athletics, drama, dance and stand-up comedy.

“The aims and objectives of the NYSC scheme  to bring about unity are  being actualised through this laudable competition.

“It is noteworthy that the zonal preliminaries we are here to witness will give room for winning teams to qualify for the finals.

“Please ensure you treat yourselves with utmost sportsmanship so as not to allow casualties, ”  Okpo said.

The NYSC boss  thanked the Ogun government for its support and providing the enabling environment for the programme.

The event themed,  ‘Integrating Sports and Culture for National Unity, ‘ will run between Monday and Thursday, with victors  progressing  to the finals.

The competition is being held nationwide in the six geo-political zones. (NAN)
TDS/OJO
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(Edited by Mufutau Ojo)

General news

Amosun gives N100, 000 to woman delivered of her baby girl at Ojude-Oba Festival

OgunThe  Commissioner for Health, Dr Babatunde Ipaye, presenting the cash gift of N100,000 from Gov. Ibikunle Amosun to Mrs Abibat Ayanlola on her bed at State General Hospital, Ijebu-Ode.

 

 

NAN-H-21
Festival
By Temitope Salami
Ijebu-Ode (Ogun), Sept. 4, 2017 (NAN) Mrs Abibat Ayanlola, 32, who was delivered of a baby girl during Ojude-Oba Festival on Sunday in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun has received a cash gift of N100,000 from Gov. Ibikunle Amosun.

A visibly elated Ayanlola, on Monday received the donation from the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Babatunde Ipaye, who visited her at the State General Hospital, Ijebu-Ode.

She thanked the governor for the gesture and all those who assisted her and the baby during the episode which she claimed caught her unawares.

In a chat with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) after receiving the gift, Ayanlola narrated how medics came to her aid when they heard her distress call.

NAN reports that Ojude-Oba is an annual festival celebrated in Ijebu-Ode, the third day after Eid-el-Kabir.

Ayanlola told NAN that though, she hails from the Awori clan in Ogun, she regularly attended the annual celebration of the Ojude-Oba with keen interest.

Narrating her ordeal further, Ayanlola said that she never expected she would suddenly go into labour having been told by her caregivers that the expected delivery date was Sept. 12.

According to her, what more can I say. God spared my life and my baby’s, now the governor came to my aid with a cash gift of N100, 000.

“I am a caterer by trade, while my husband, Lukman is a transporter, but personally, I travel down every year from where I reside to partake in the Ojude-Oba Festival which thrills me.

“I went to urinate having been pressed while partaking in the event. As I came back, I started feeling uneasy and decided to relax a bit on the stairs of the pavilion.

“Before I realised what was happening, I couldn’t stand on my feet again and then went into labour before eventually birthing at the spot.

“It was the quick intervention of the emergency medical team that saved my life and that of my baby.

“I normally attend my antenatal clinic, which is programmed for Thursdays and was told my date for expected delivery was Sept. 12.

“I thank God for living through this episode and also thank Ogun Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, for his benevolence through the financial support,” she said.

Ayanlola says the baby is her fourth child having had three children, all males.

In his remarks, Ipaye advised pregnant women to take necessary steps in ensuring that they remained healthy by conforming to their doctors’ advice, particularly after 35 weeks of the pregnancy.

The commissioner urged them to minimise travelling, saying that it posed a great risk to their safety and the development of the baby.

“She took a great risk, but was lucky that the emergency team prepared well for such eventuality.

“Usually, when we have large gatherings like this in Ogun, it is customary for us to always have an emergency medical team on standby.

“The baby was delivered with the umbilical cord round her neck which created some complications in her birth as we have to eliminate the risks.

“If that level of care was not given, the baby might not have survived and the possibility of losing the mother too was high, because she lost a lot of blood in the process.

“She was delivered of the baby on the floor which was not the best place for such activity; so she was immediately rushed to the hospital for proper care afterwards.

“I advise pregnant women that when they are close to their delivery time, they should not to be too far away from their caregivers or their family members,” he said. (NAN)
TDS/ORO/GOK
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Edited by Rasak Owolabi/Olagoke Olatoye

 

 

Sport

NYSC sports and cultural festival aimed at discovering talents – Coordinator

‎
NAN-H-77
Mangu (Plateau) Feb. 20, 2017 (NAN) The NYSC annual sports and cultural festival is aimed at providing an avenue for hidden talents to showcase their potential, Mrs. Funmilayo Akin-Moses, NYSC Coordinator in Plateau, has said.
The coordinator, in a speech at the official opening ceremony of NYSC sports and cultural festival in Mangu, Plateau State, said that the festival and its keen competitions had often led to the discovery of talents in sports, drama and comedy.
Akin-Moses, whose states is hosting eight states for the preliminary competitions, said that sporting events were not merely recreational.
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“The sporting events are professional; many talents have developed during the games,” she said.
 She said that the competitions had fostered unity over time, and specifically identified football as one game that had brought many people together.
 
 Akin-Moses said that zonal preliminary competitions were holding simultaneously in three other states of Ogun, Katsina and Delta, adding that at the end of the preliminaries, two teams would emerge as champions from each zone.
“Such champions will subsequently compete in the national finals,” she said.
 
She called on the participants to imbibe the spirit of sportsmanship and to avoid any form of violence.
Akin-Moses also advised officials to be fair. (NAN)
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 UBO/‎ETS
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Edited by Ephraims Sheyin
General news

Amosun, Dickson laud tourism potentials of Ojude Oba Festival

NAN-H-91

Festival

by Temitope Salami

Ijebu-Ode (Ogun), Sept. 14, 2016 (NAN) Gov. Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun has on commended the organisers of the annual Ojude Oba Festival, saying it has helped to promote the state government’s tourism drive.

Amosun gave the commendation when he delivered his goodwill message at the event held at the Golden Jubilee Centre, Ijebu-Ode on Wednesday.

The governor said the festival, which commemorates the Muslim Ileya celebration, had over the years gained popularity both nationally and internationally.

“These festival remains a symbol of unity to celebrate the life of our kabiyesi, the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona.

“It remains a forum to highlight the level of development in Ijebuland being a rally point for all Ijebu indigenes to promote their values.

“It has emerged as one of the frontline events in Ogun state and It is our belief that these festival represents one of the cardinal points in our tourism development agenda.

“It also makes me proud that everyone, even the world can come and see us showcase our culture and tradition in all its grandeur.

“I don’t know of any state that has been able to marry religion with culture and tradition successfully,” Amosun said.

Similarly, the Chief Guest of the event, Gov. Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa, urged the nation to tap into potential inherent with festivals aimed at promoting tradition.

“Festivals like this should be encouraged in all parts of Nigeria to facilitate tourism, development and to promote our diverse traditions,” Dickson said.

In his message, Oba Adetona commended the corporate sponsors of the event, especially Globacom limited, for sponsoring the festival for the past 11 years.

The monarch urged all tiers governments to extend the dividends of democracy to the grassroots, saying areas outside the seat of government were unfairly marginalised.

“The first area of development are always the seat of government. Their should be equity in terms of development across board.

“We look forward to the change the present national government has promised. They must fulfil their promises to us,” Adetona said.

The monarch added that government could perform better because Nigeria was blessed with a lot of resources.

“We all know the country is presently going through a trying period, but we are proud that Ogun government has been able to keep to fulfil its mandate thus far,” Adetona said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Ojude Oba festival, celebrated annually in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun, is held on the third day after Eid-el-Kabir.

It is a festival used to promote the cultural diversity of the Ijebu people, who use the occasion to honour their king. (NAN)
TDS/OFN
(Edited by Felix Nwadioha)