Learn from Awo’s pacesetting quality, Gani Adams charges South West govs

Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Abiodun Adams, has charged South-West governors to learn from the pace-setting quality of the sage Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who is former premier of the region, by working together in order to build a formidable business and social integration in the zone.

Adams made the call while speaking at the 2019 Edition of Elegbara Festival in Shasha Lagos, urging the governors to emulate Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who as then premier of old Western Region embarked on projects that had a direct impact on the entire region and made it a pacesetter throughout the country.

“At a time like this, there should be a strong unifying synergy between the South-West governors. This will help to create an enabling environment for the people.

“For instance, during the days of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo as Premier of the Western Region, there were both social and economic integrations.

“The entire region developed rapidly by becoming a model for other regions. At the time, South-West set the pace while other regions followed.

“We can replicate the same idea by creating a regional integration policy direction for the development of the South-West,” the Aare Onakakanfo said.

According to him, to achieve this objective, Lagos State can be made to become the centre for economic integration, while Oyo State becomes the cultural-tourism hub.

He said that Osun State, in particular, had the potentials to be South-West abode and centre for history and strategic planning, while Ogun State can handle the region’s information and research Centre.

Speaking further, Iba Adams stated that Ekiti had the capacity to be the zone’s Centre for Agriculture, “and Ondo, with its potentials as one of the oil-rich states, can be the technology hub for the southwest.”

On the Elegbara as a prominent deity, the Aare Onakakanfo insisted that the misconception about the deity needed to be corrected, adding that the Foundation under his leadership had really done its best in promoting the economy of Shasha town.

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“We have exposed the tourism potentials of this town to the world. Annually, we inject several millions into the economy of this community and we can see the level of development in the town. So by celebrating Elegbara, there’s need for us to clear the air on the myth and the reality surrounding the great deity. Elegbara is one unique deity that is saddled with great responsibilities.

“For instance, in Yoruba land, Elegbara is usually visible across all the communities. You see the shrines in the palaces, markets and across all the communities. Even, at the motor parks, Elegbara is always visible.

“For instance, in Lagos, Ojuelegba in Surulere was formerly known as “Ojubo Elegbara,” meaning Elegbara’s shrine. But it was later shortened to “Oju Elegba,” Iba Adams stated.

Meanwhile, the Oba of Shasha, Oba Babatunde Ogunronbi, has reiterated the need to support the leadership of the Olokun Festival Foundation, saying the foundation had been at the vanguard of promoting the cultural identity of the Yoruba race.

According to him, “All sons and daughters of Yoruba race have different complementary roles to play in the development of our culture and tradition. So what we are doing today is part of our roles as royal fathers and custodian of Yoruba culture and traditions.”

“That is why we need to support the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland in ensuring that the Yoruba nation regains its pride of place in the world,” he said.