Yinka Olatunbosun
Ahead of the 2021 World Tourism Day, the 13th Annual Eko Oni Baje Festival which kicks off tomorrow will honour Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Governor Yahaya Bello (Kogi State); (Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Hajia Sadiya Umar-Farouq and Mr. Allen Onyema, the Chairman, Air Peace as the recipients of its prestigious ‘Icons of National Cohesion Award’. With the theme: Peaceful Coexistence, the Honours committee of the cultural fiesta, revealed that that would be honoured for using their offices and activities to cement the ties of national unity.
The project coordinator of Castledown Arts Centre, curators of the event, Ozo Chinedu Idezuna, disclosed how the selected four got the highest number of votes from respondents in a poll conducted in June.
“Let me stress that the award holds a special place in this year’s festival, because, we are concerned about the state of the Nigerian nation today and believe that we need peaceful coexistence, which our fore fathers had been observing even before the Europeans came to Africa.
“We started a poll in June to know Nigerians whose activities are helping to unite us rather than divide us. Nigerians therefore believe that these winners have done well in uniting us, which is why as promoters of national unity through culture, we want to recognise them and encourage others to be like them, so that we can have a more united Nigeria. Our message is that Nigeria is one. The Festival has always highlighted what unites us as Nigerians, and that is our culture, expressed through sports, our cuisine, the new yam festival and our beautiful women. That is the message of the 2021 edition of the festival,” he said.
Highlights of this year’s edition include the New Yam Festival, Soccer Competition, Children’s Art Competition/Exhibition, Beauty pageantry and Wrestling. The festival which kicks off tomorrow has grown to become a part of the cultural calendar of Lagos metropolis. It will run till Monday September 27, as part of the World Tourism Day festivities.
