Lagos—The
Aare Ona Kakanfo designate of Yorubaland, Gani Adams said his involvement in
various cultural festivals was to preserve and celebrate Yoruba heritage.
He said
this at the annual Ajagunmale Festival held at Lekki Guest House, Lekki Lagos.
He, however, called on Yoruba people to be involved in the promotion of their
culture saying “celebrating our heritage is the same way we celebrate the
Christian and Islamic festivals.” Adams said: “The involvement of the Olokun
Festival Foundation in the celebration of Ajagunmale Festival, is part of the
means to propagate the Yoruba culture as well as preserve our heritage and
celebrate them.” He said: “The challenge before all of us present here, those
at home and the diaspora, is to ensure that we take our culture to the point
where other clans would respect us for who we are and not what we have been
made to become. We need to purge ourselves of the belief that celebrating our
heritage through various festivals is
idolatry.” “Nothing can be farther from the truth. Celebrating our
heritage is the same way we celebrate the Christian and Islamic festivals.
There are enormous benefits in the celebration of these festivals and they can
be felt in the development, enjoyed by host communities of the festival aside from other benefits
that are personal to individuals’ beneficiaries.”
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