Osun House of Assembly advocates cultural preservation

Members of the Osun State House of Assembly have said that cultural preservation is a solution to Nigerias economic woes.

In a statement signed by the Chairman, House Committee on Information and Strategy, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye to congratulate the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi on the celebration of 2016 annual traditional Olojo festival, the lawmakers raised the topic.

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The statement reads that there is a lot of hidden potential in Yoruba cultural heritage that can be harnessed to bring economic prosperity to the area.

“There are several hidden treasure in the cultural heritage of the people of Nigeria, especially in Yorubaland, that have been left untapped and under-developed. This inaction of ours has contributed to the pains of economic recession when there was fall in the price of oil that we focus on, because the country had no alternative of economic development to fall back on."

“No doubt, we are very rich in culture, tradition, heritages and festivals that can be developed to serve as a long term solution to economic quagmire in this country, but we are not paying serious attention to them. In Osun for example, we are blessed with cultural heritage such as Olojo festival, Olojo has potential of evoking a pilgrimage potential especially for the black in diasporia."

"Other land marks such as Oranmiyan staff and Oduduwa Shrine among others in Ile-Ife; Osun Osogbo festival and grove in Osogbo; Olumirin waterfall in Erin-Ijesa; Kiriji memorial war site in Imesi-Ile and many more all over the state are notable and worthy of attention. These potentials have the capacity to create job for youths, enhance their creativity and sell the tourism potential of the state to the world for a self-sustaining economy.”

The lawmakers acknowledged that Governor Rauf Aregbesola has made a lot of effort to revive tourism in the state.

However they said that there is need for the Federal Government to partner with the state to further develop tourism.