Dr Toyin Taiwo, the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism in Ogun, says the death of Mrs Sinatu Aduke Sanni, popularly known as “Mama Olumo” will propel more tourists to the site.
Taiwo made the assertions on in Abeokuta when he visited the family house of the late Sanni to deliver a letter of condolence from Governor Dapo Abiodun.
Tribune Online reports that Sanni, the custodian of the popular Olumo Rock, died on June 1 at the age of 137.
Mama Olumo’s grandson, Mr Samad Sanni, told journalists that Mama Olumo was buried on Thursday night according to Orisa Egun traditional rites.
He said, though her family is not from Orisa Egun, her barrenness took her to the deity, which she served for the rest of her life.
According to him, she was buried in her room at the family house behind the Olumo Rock.
“We buried her on Thursday night, according to Orisa traditional rite. Mama belongs to Orisa Egun, and there is nothing we can do than to bury her in that rite.
“Anyone who is an Orisa Egun cannot be buried outside, they are buried inside their houses, so mama was buried inside her room. All other activities will follow after the burial rite,” he said.
The commissioner said that tourists, who visited the site had always sought “Mama Olumo” out to get facts and history about the rock and Egbaland as a whole.
“And as such, she had become a tourist site herself,” Taiwo said.
However, the governor, in his letter to the deceased family, as read by Taiwo, expressed the compassion of the state government toward the demise of “Mama Olumo”.
He promised to keep supporting the family as it had always done.
Abiodun in the letter, said that many of the histories heard from “Mama” had been documented and available at the ministry for reference.
“When we heard of mama’s passing, as a government, we have to show up here and identify with the family at this moment to condole with them.
“Mama is a custodian of our histories, culture and tradition.
“We’re going to miss her greatly in terms of the history and truth of Egbaland and in terms of the tourism.
“This is because mama herself has become a tourist centre, in view of the way people justle to see and heard from her,” he said.
On immortalising mama, Abiodun said, “you should be sure that if somebody has made an impact on humanity, the government is going to do the needful.”
Commenting on the death of her mother, Mama Olumo’s first child, Mrs Mosinat Amusa, said though her mother died at old age, she was still saddened by her passing.
Amusa, who said she passed at age 90, however, expressed satisfaction at the life her mother lived.
She expressed confidence that some of her children would continue from where mama stopped.
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