A governorship aspirant under the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, Omooba Dotun Babayemi, has called for the preservation of cultural artefacts and relics of the Yoruba race in Nigeria.
Such a move, Babayemi contended, would help to secure the future of the race, especially in the area of the Yoruba language, which he lamented was gradually going into extinction.
He emphasized that consistent celebration of cultural festivals in Yoruba land would keep the consciousness of their historical backgrounds alive,a development he added, would always assist in fostering unity among the people.
In a release by his media office, Babayemi congratulated the people of the state, especially the indigenes of Osogbo, on the celebration of this year’s annual Osun Osogbo Festival.
“Our culture is our identity and our selling point; we must all strive to protect and preserve. It’s our common ancestry heritage which separates us from others, and this we must keep jealously. We need a conscious cultural rebirth that will help to re-engineer and inculcate an enduring belief in our younger generations. More importantly, the celebration of our various cultures links us with the past to foster our unity today and tomorrow.
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“It’s a money-spinning venture. Culture and tourism are basically what sustain most countries in the world today, but unfortunately, we are not paying much attention to them. We should endeavour to look at this direction because of its inherent benefits.
“Osun Osogbo Festival, like others in different parts of Yoruba-speaking states, filled with different artefacts and relics, has ensured we continue to occupy global space for the good of our areas and the people. This, we must not allow to become a thing of the past in our annals,” he further cautioned.
Also, Babayemi appealed to traditional rulers and stakeholders to always evolve engagements that would continue to promote the Yoruba ethos, pleading further that efforts be made to ensure that the language did not die as a result of the intrusion of foreign cultures.
While congratulating the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji Olanipekun, and the people of the ancient town on this year’s celebration, the governorship aspirant implored government at all levels in the country to use culture and tourism to generate more funds for the development of the nation.