Charles Ajunwa
The Director General of the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Otunba Segun Runsewe, yesterday commended the Curator of Ijebu National Museum, Wanda Ibru, for doing a brilliant job together with her committee members in sustaining the rich cultural heritage of the Ijebus in a well secured in-house museum.
Runsewe, who presented a plaque to Ibru, during a tour of the Ijebu National Museum, said a country without history would find it difficult to make progress.
He called on other states across the country to take a cue from the Ijebu National Museum, saying each state should be able to tell their own story to tourists and cultural critics.
“What we are trying to do now with this in-house museum, is to encourage other states to take a cue from it so that they can have their own museums and when people come to their states, they have stories to tell tourists and cultural critics. For me, this is absolutely commendable and that is why I gave a plaque today (yesterday) to the Ijebu National Museum for doing a great job. For reminding us, if you don’t know where you are coming from it will be difficult to make progress. The younger ones today can see what happened in 53 with Tv, the sculpture of the Oba which they change from time to time to look very unique. For me, I must commend the Curator and the committee members for doing a brilliant job and sustaining this museum. What we need to do now is to link up this museum with other international museums. I’m sure in another few years, they will be thinking of expanding the museum.
“But I have one recommendation, every year they have Ojude Oba, it will be nice to pick something from that celebration and put it in the museum. It’s maybe drum this year, it could be dress of one of the dancers, it could be anything so that it can be brand identity of the Ijebus. “
Commenting on this year’s Ojude Oba, Runsewe said, “Today, we are talking of experience, celebrating life with culture and royalty of a people that believe in their cultural brand. Now both the Ijebus home and abroad have come out in their numbers. Yesterday (Thursday) I went to the immigration desk, and they informed me that over 2,500 disaporans arrived for this year’s Ojude Oba. That is to tell us that this is a cultural content we must take seriously.
“Today, Ogun State is one of the most peaceful states in Nigeria. You hardly hear of any kidnapping or violent crimes. So, if we have this kind of festival we need to promote and make sure it’s well preserved and promoted globally. We need to make sure that it cements a new future for our great country.
“Yesterday (Thursday) we all heard Mr. President telling us his relationship with the Awujale who, of course, is the oldest serving monarch in the history of mankind. Both leaders have come a long way. Today, nobody is talking about religion or any other thing. We are talking about celebrating the people.
The Curator, Ibru, who took the NCAC boss around the museum, said it’s open for seven days in a week.
