A socio-cultural group in Yewa area of Ogun State; Yewa People Development Council (YPDC) has assured that it will continue to work and engage its people on how to turn their challenges into opportunities.
The Board of Trustee Chairman of YPDC, and former Vice Chancellor of University of Lagos, Prof. Rahman Bello said this while briefing newsmen on the activities lined up to celebrate this year Yewa Cultural festival held at the Yewa Council Hall, Ilaro, Ogun State over the weekend.
Speaking on the economic challenges facing the region and the ban on the supply of petroleum products to filling stations in Nigeria’s land border communities, Prof Bello said eminent sons and daughters of the region are already holding talks with federal government on the need to lift embargo on the order.
He said, the group will engage both the federal and state governments on the need to upgrade and invest more infrastructural needs in the border communities in order to scale up standard of living in the zone.
The chairman, flanked by the Oloke Odan of Oke Odan, Oba O.O Fagbenro, who represented the Olu of Ilaro and Paramount Ruler of Yewaland, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle; the chairman, Carnival and Tourism Development Board, Otunba (Pharmacist) Lekan Asuni; Yewa Cultural Ambassador, Alhaji Taiwo Hassan aka Ogogo; traditional rulers among others, noted that the festival would showcase different cultural diversities of Yewaland and its people.
He explained that YPDC is a creation of the Yewa Traditional Council aimed at coordinating the efforts of all pan-Yewa development organisations towards effective development and representation of Yewaland.
He said," The 2023 Yewa Festival is expected to showcase all the cultural diversities of Yewaland including its people, to the world, stressing that the momentum to be created by the 2023 festival is expected to lay the foundation of a world acclaimed festival which will go into the tourism schedule of Nigeria and the world in general."
"There are many challenges we are facing in this area in Yewaland as border communities and this is exactly what we as a council will be taking up. Because of our location which is not our choice but by divine creation. We have been targeted in some cases not because of our faults, but because of where we are. We are however, not going to take that lying low, we are going to take it as a challenge and ensure that it doesn't hinder us in the course of our developments".
"We are also working on the issue of the 20 kilometer restrictions of fuel supplies to the border. We are already following up to ensure that it's fully removed.
"It's not only the restriction of fuel to the border communities that is troubling us, we are aware that we're also having problems with our youths who are being used as couriers, in most cases by the smugglers and by that, they're abandoning their schools, seeing such as a business. These are some of the people who could have grow up to become something greater in the future. But because they want to make quick money, they thus get lured from education".
"So, we know our challenges and we know where they are. We have been facing them, but we are going to engage the federal, state and Local Governments to ensure that we get the right things in our areas infrastructurally, as well as developmentally".
He highlighted medical outreaches across the five local government areas in Ogun West Senatorial District, as part of activities for the week long programme.
Asides, the award of honour to top federal and State Executives and Public Servants of Yewa extraction held on Saturday at Yewa Frontiers Hotel, Ilaro, another set of 130 Yewa indigenes would be honoured at the second reception and award events on Friday.
While an Economic Summit with the theme "Re-Invigorating Yewa Agenda-From Vision to Reality" will be addressed by Professor Tope Popoola who will be speaking on "Re-Appraising Educational Startegies as Veritable Tool for Community Development" and "Harnessing and Maximizing Youth Potentials for Empowerment and Transformation of Yewaland" to be delivered by Special Adviser and Commissioner Designate, Mr. Olaolu Olabimtan.
Other programmes for the Festival were Youth Summit; Yewa Unity Cup Competition; Jumat and Church thanksgiving services and the grand finale at Asade Agunloye Pavilion on Saturday with the paying of homage by different groups, Community Development Associations to Oba Olugbenle and other royal fathers from across the length and breadth of Yewaland and Star Awards and Recognitions.
The Festival Mascot was unveiled during the news conference by Oba Fagbenro.
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