Removal of petrol subsidy won’t affect turn-out at Osun-Osogbo festival — Official
Mr. Aworeni Joseph, the curator and Site manager of Osun-Osogbo Groove, has said that the removal of the petroleum subsidy will not affect the expected turnout of tourists and participants at the grand finaleof the event on Friday.
Joseph, in an interview on Wednesday in Osogbo, said that all necessary arrangements had been made for the success of the festival.
“I believe we will have a huge turnout, not minding the subsidy removal.
“People have passion for culture, and the Osun-Osogbo festival is an international festival that usually attracts tourists across the world.
“When there was COVID-19, which caused restriction of movement, even at that, we still had a manageable crowd for the festival.
”I don’t believe the fuel subsidy removal willaffect the turnout; I believe the turnout will be greater than last year, he said.
Joseph furtherexplained that the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) had made the necessary arrangements with stakeholders to ensure that the festival was successful.
“The Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun, who is thechief traditional custodian of the Osun-Osogbo Festival, the Osogbo Heritage Council, and the Osun-Osogbo Festival Council, with NCMM, are working for the success of the festival.
“The state government has been assisting us and doing a lot of restoration, rehabilitation, and preservation work at the groove.
“Stakeholders have also been meeting with security agencies on how the festival and grand finale will succeed.
“With everything done so far,we are prepared for the grand finale, and we expect a successful grand finale on Friday,” he said.
The Osun-Osogbo Festival, whose history dates back centuries, is usually celebrated in an ancient grove believed to be among the last of the sacred forests among Yoruba cities.
In recognition of its global significance and cultural value, the sacred grove was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.
For the people of Osogbo, the festival symbolises the traditional cleansing of the town and the cultural reunion of the people with their ancestors and the founders of the Osogbo kingdom.
