ANOTHER Ekimogun Day has come and gone, but the experience of the day still lingers in the memory of the sons and daughters of Ondo kingdom, as well as their friends and well wishers who were on hand to make the day a memorable one. The 2011 edition of the day was colourful and distinct, as the event, which has been staged annually for 24 years now and which has also been bringing the indigenes of the town both at home and abroad together to deliberate on its development, was powered and sponsored by a mobile communication giant, Globacom Nigeria Limited.That the edition would be eventful was evident during the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Osemawe-In-Council and Globacom on the staging of the Ekimogun Day for the next three years in the first instance. The Osemawe of Ondo, Oba Victor Kiladejo, said at the signing of the document that the gesture from Globacom would further complement the efforts of the people of the town to uplift Ondo to the status of a city by 2015. According to the monarch, Globacom had been contributing to the economic development of the town through the provision of its services to the people.He said that the organisation was the first to open an office in the town out of the many service providers that abound in the country, adding that the MoU signed with the town showed that the telecommunications outfit identified with the people of the town and was ready to contribute to the growth of their customs and tradition.The Ondo State Manager of the company, Ayo Ojuekaye, said that the MoU was signed because the organisation had resol-ved to be part of the Ekimogun Day celebration because Globacom is a Nigerian company inte-rested in the cul-ture and tradi-tion of the people. He said the organisa-tion was ready to cooperate with the state government to lift tourism as the event would be useful for the development of tourism in the state.He said, 'We have resolved to be part of this celebration to enhance the culture of the people, we are interested in the development of people in the area where we operate and Ondo State is not an exception'. However on Saturday, December 3, 2011 the Ekimogun Day, which was a week- long event climaxed and it proved to be an event used to celebrate the rich culture of the people of Ondo king-dom.The event, held at the Oba Adesanoye Civic Centre, Ondo, enabled the people of the town, most of who were clad in the traditional ofi attires, including the governor of the state, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, to once again come together and celebrate with the Osemawe.The presence of major clubs and associations of the indigenes of the town was felt at the event with each of them allocated a pavilion, while the sponsor of the event, Globacom also added colour to it with branded marketing communication items dotting the landscape of the town and the venue of the event.Welcoming guests, tourists and indigenes to the annual celebration, the National Chairman, Ekimogun Day 2011 planning committee, Alhaji Gbenga Akinsehinwa, expressed appreciation to the people of the town for their participation in the event.He said that the Ekimogun Festival Council put in place by the Ondo Development Committee (ODC), had been very helpful and had ensured that the 2011 edition had improved programmes that would make the event more glamorous and resuscitate its carnival-like nature.The Osemawe in his speech at the event, said the people of the community had striven to make it an example in self-help effort and this had been yielding positive result. He, however, said concerted efforts would be made to achieve the 'Ondo City Vision 2015', The monarch said, 'This is to refocus our minds to well-planned infrastructural and social development, with such accelerated speed that we shall, by God's grace, proclaim our town of Ondo, a city in the year 2015'.He said that the town had put in place, many developmental programmes including a new housing estate with a large expanse of land acquired by the Ondo 2015 committee, "for the purpose of developing houses by sons and daughters of the town abroad."Kiladejo also expressed the appreciation of the people of the town to Globacom for sponsoring the event and making it glamorous and memorable. The governor, who is also a 'son of the soil', was full of joy over the improvement in the participation of the people of the community in the 2011 Ekimogun Day celebration.Mimiko, however, implored the people to continue to cooperate with the Osemawe in his effort at ensuring that the town takes its rightful position in the state in particular and in the country in general.The Ekimogun Day 2011 featured homages to the Osemawe by traditional chiefs, clubs and societies, the investiture of merit awardees and cultural display where cultural groups from the town exhibited their talents and also entertained the guests that had come from far and near.
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