Gov Akala urges Nigerians to distinguish religion from culture

He made the assertion in Ibadan last week while declaring open the maiden Oyo Festival/Carnival, explaining that it was his government’s determination to use the festival in rebuilding and energising the tourism potentialities of the state and makes it investment friendly. While maintaining that a clear distinction should be made between religion and culture, governor […]

He made the assertion in Ibadan last week while declaring open the maiden Oyo Festival/Carnival, explaining that it was his government’s determination to use the festival in rebuilding and energising the tourism potentialities of the state and makes it investment friendly.

While maintaining that a clear distinction should be made between religion and culture, governor Alao-Akala attributed the misconception to the evil effect of colonialism, an assault which he said colonialism imposed on our culture that made many people to jettison their past with disdain.

The Governor then declared that the 2009 Oyo Festival/Carnival which would henceforth be an annual event, underscored the determined efforts of the present administration to boost the tourism potentialities of the state and transform all sectors of the state economy.

Addressing the participants drawn from all the 33 Local Governments of Oyo State, Governor Alao-Akala said: “The festival which begins today will set the pace for the revival of our cultural heritage. There has for a long time been a misconception of what cultural values stand for. A clear distinction should be made between religion and culture. One evil effect of colonialism is the assault on our culture. We were actively encouraged to forget our past. Until recently, millions of today’s youths knew nothing about Egungun, Oro, Sango, Obatala and other deities. But thanks to the recent reawakening and revival sweeping across the entire nation, the various cultural festivals are being brought to the fore, to encourage tourism.”

The Governor posited that if the country’s wide tourism sites could be well developed, Nigeria as a nation could make a lot of fortunes from the sector as, according to him, all over the world, tourism has become one of the most veritable sources of foreign exchange earners.

The State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Alhaja Risikat Oyebimpe Alabi explained that the Festival was a week-long event laced with fun packed youth initiatives and trade opportunities. The line up programmes included carnival, drama, parade by local governments, Egungun Day, Fuji Night, Face of Tourism, Cultural Fiesta by secondary school students and other cultural troupes from within and outside Oyo State and also the Governor’s Award Night, among others.