Gov Abiodun promises to construct Lisabi Pavillion, road to groove
The Alake and Paramount ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo weekend called for healthy rivalry among various tribes in the country.
He said that it is such rivalry that can lead to exchange of ideas and incubation of better ones.
“It is a great thing to borrow ideas from others tribes, use them and make them better than it was originally”, the revered monarch said this at 34th edition of Lisabi Cultural Festival held at the June 12 Cultural Centre in Abeokuta.
At the event, the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun assured the people of Egbaland that his administration would ensure the timely completion of the Ake Palace Pavilion currently under construction at the palace of the Alake of Egbaland.
The governor said this would be done with the view of giving the people an atmosphere of comfort and pride anytime the people come together to have the yearly extravaganza or any other cultural show.
His administration, he said, would ensure that the celebration of Lisabi, the brave warrior who fought for the freedom of the town is done in grand style and in ‘the Ogun standard’ way. Abiodun appreciates the sons and daughters of Egbaland in diaspora for not losing touch with their root.
"This is a celebration of our rich culture and heritage. It is a celebration of someone who was very bold and patriotic, someone who defended the Egba people and fought wars and won wars on behalf of the Egba people. We must celebrate this occasion in style. Henceforth, it must be celebrated in the Ogun standard way. By the grace of God, we will ensure that by this time next year when we are celebrating another Lisabi day, it will be in the comfort of a finished and a first class five star pavilion.
"I want to use this opportunity to appreciate the Egba sons and daughters that are in diaspora, particularly, those that have continued to maintain close links with home, as exemplified by what we saw this afternoon. These ones that came from Canada, United States and the United Kingdom, who have come to support the cause of education by giving out scholarships to some students that are deserving. This is the kind of initiative that we will continue to encourage in Ogun State. We must find a way to live a life of impact," he said.
Abiodun while urging the people of the state to be patriotic, selfless and imbibe all the virtues of the late Lisabi, said that the people of the state should remember and owe their essence to the sacrifices and heroic deeds of their past heroes.
"But today, as we all gather in honor of patriotism and selflessness, let us all imbibe all the positive virtues of Lisabi - as people of Egbaland and people of Ogun State and Nigeria - we must remember that we owe our existence to the sacrifices and heroic deeds of our giants, celebration such as these should serve as a reminder to us about our individual and collective responsibility to our motherland. This enviable legacy should serve and propel all of us," he said.
The governor also disclosed that his administration would continue to ensure even development of the state. He noted that his administration will ensure that its grassroots are developed in line with its people centered framework.
"On the part of this administration, let me assure all the people of Ogun State that we are unwavering in our commitment to the development of all parts of our state. We will continue to accord priority to grassroots development by evoving a people-centered framework for the design and implementation of our programmes as encapsulated in our Building our future together agenda," he said.
Earlier in his remarks, the Aare Ona Kakanofo, Otunba Gani Adams urged the state government to help work on the access road to the Lisabi groove against the 35th edition, urging the people of Egbaland and other Kings in the Egbaland to come together and celebrate the bravery of Lisabi together.
Adams while calling on the state government to develop its tourists’ attractions, appreciated the state governor for gracing the occasion, saying that his presence speaks a lot about his support for the festival.
The commissioner for Culture and Tourism in the state, Dr. Toyin Taiwo said that the ministry would not rest on its oars to ensure that tourists sites in the state wear a new look, adding that the ministry is aiming to ensure that all its tourists sites attain international standards.
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