Prince Dapo Abiodun, the Ogun State Governor, has requested for a joint cultural festival between Ogun and Osun states as part of measures to revive culture and tourism in the two states.
Speaking when he received his Osun State counterpart, Senator Ademola Adeleke, in Abeokuta, on Friday night, he stated that both states share many things in common, hence the need to explore their rich cultural affinity for the benefit of their people.
According to him, “such a festival if planned together would help in deepening the relationship between both states”.
Abiodun who spoke about the potential inherent in the Adire fabric, he said that his government took several steps, including instituting the culture of wearing the fabric once a week, especially in the government circle and putting “Adire Ok” on Twitter for online purchases, all in an attempt to revive the Adire business which was gradually folding up.
He narrated, “When I assumed office, this industry was dying just like what you have in Osun because the Chinese were coming to Ogun State to copy the designs, take it to China, make the Adire and Ankara and sell cheaper than those produced by our people, regardless of how beautiful it is”.
Prince Abiodun commended Governor Adeleke for his good work in his state and for being a focused and diligent person, even as he recalled the long-existing relationship between them.
He noted that being in different political parties doesn’t matter as politics is just a platform meant to achieve objectives.
Abiodun added that his administration is in talks with the Federal Ministry of Works about some roads that are of importance to both states, one of which is a road that allows people to travel to Osun State without passing through Ibadan.
The governor also said that the decision to add the road to the list of roads that are of importance to his government was in continuation of his administration’s plan to make connectivity with Border States easy.
Earlier, Governor Adeleke expressed delight with the cordial relations between indigenes of both states, stressing the need to explore and exploit the cultural affinity for the good of the people.
Governor Adeleke emphasized the need to promote unity at all times, adding that “the people of both states are one, hence politics of bitterness should not be used as a means of separation, just as his administration is ready to work with the Ogun State government in the area of cultural reawakening and promotion”.
Prestige Newspaper 