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| Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (3rd right), Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Mr. Ganiyu Johnson, Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, Minister for Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs. Lola Akande and Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare, at the festival of One Lagos at Agege |
With the festival of One Lagos, the administration of Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode has demonstrated commitment to its promise to bring government much closer to the people of the state through different socio-political initiatives irrespective of space and time. Gboyega Akinsanmi writes
A new consciousness has started emerging in Lagos State. Already, it has crystallised into a mantra: “One Lagos, One Love”. It first came up few weeks ago, when Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode formally unveiled “One Lagos Fiesta”. Consciously designed to nurture the spirit of “One Lagos” among residents, the initiative was indeed an improvement on Lagos Countdown.
Basically, the design of “One Lagos” was to expand the state’s frontiers of entertainment, hospitality and tourism during the festive period, especially after a financially difficult year, according to the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde. That was indeed achieved at its take off given the way the people were brought together in the state’s five administrative divisions.
Already, Ayorinde said the mantra “has become a tool to build the spirit of harmony and togetherness. It has also become a tool to promote a new consciousness tailored at ensuring peaceful co-existence among residents irrespective of where we come from. It has equally become a tool to deepen the roots of inclusion,” which he said, formed Ambode’s strategic compass.
This was a sharp contrast to the precursor of “One Lagos Fiesta,” which only took place in one location and in one night annually. But the commissioner said the festival of One Lagos indeed “decentralised and deepened the commercialisation of annual crossover ceremonies,” which he said, Fashola’s administration introduced into the state’s tourism calendar and sustained for three good years.
So, in the spirit of oneness and togetherness, Ambode redesigned and refocused Lagos countdown in a way that would help build a new consciousness of “One Lagos”. Ayorinde, thus, said Ambode’s administration adopted the state’s five administrative divisions “to take the message of One Lagos to every community, every corner, every home, every person and every street in the spirit of oneness and togetherness.”
By implication, the initiative indeed ignited the spirit of “One Lagos” in Badagry, Epe, Ikeja, Ikorodu and Lagos Island administrative divisions, which Ayorinde said, massively brought together youths, community leaders, political actors and even leaders of thought among others “to celebrate the dawn of a new era and forge into the future with the spirit of oneness in spite of our diversity.”
In each division, the attendance was indeed huge with leaders from all facets of life coming together in the spirit of One Lagos. Also, even with huge crowd, there was no incident of crime recorded in all divisions, which the commissioner said, showed how Ambode’s administration meaningfully engaged the youths for positive outcomes.
In Agege, for instance, the commissioner disclosed that a record one million people “turned out for the programme on the last night.” Even with the huge turnout, Ayorinde noted that no venue of the programme“recorded a single incident of theft, molestation, rape, robbery, killing, kidnapping or terrorism. Lagos is safe! It is a proof that residents are in tune with Ambode’s One Lagos mantra.”
The benefit is equally immeasurable and unquantifiable, according to the commissioner. Aside from creating employment and incomes in the hospitality, entertainment and tourism industry at a festive period after a financially difficult year, Ayorinde said the programme “demonstrated promises in entertainment economy. It equally tested entertainment economy,” which he said, was yet to be fully delivered.
Ayorinde said benefits to stage builders, sound professionals, light specialists, transport operators, hospitality, food and beverage sellers “have been in multiples by five across five locations. Artistes were gainfully employed with their teams and crews. The GDP of Lagos State increased. One Lagos Fiesta to remain alive all year round creating platforms to showcase our culture with its unique art.”
The festival also holds a lot of promises, according to the commissioner. With the success of One Lagos, Ayorinde said the20 localities of Lagos “will all get a festival a year. In addition there will be a festival of the drums, food and beverage fiesta, Abuja road shows, jazz fiesta and Independence Day. Nigeria dominates Africa in the music and film industries of which Lagos is their home. Our strategic investments in entertainment infrastructure will help deepen the hold Lagos has on this dominance.”
But the initiative has eventually generated a new mantra: “One Lagos, One Love” across the state. Beyond economic gains, the mantra has started crystallising to social and political consciousness. For Ayorinde, it has become a demonstrable evidence of Ambode’s promise of a government of inclusion and indeed of taking back governance to the people and that no part of Lagos will be left behind.
This has an implication to Lagos residents at large, thereby leading to the emergence of a new movement. Ayorinde said the movement “is subtly emerging through the way the people are socially and economically engaged at the festival of One Lagos”. Also, as the commissioner argued, the initiative has objectively expanded Ambode’s drive of political inclusion, which he promised during the last electioneering.
Consequently, Ayorinde explained how the idea deepened the state’s sense of governance and inclusiveness. He said the governor personally led all members of the State Executive Council to Agege and was on ground in Epe, which he said, demonstrated Ambode’s passion to identify with Lagos residents at all levels.
Across the state, the festival of “One Lagos” brought political leaders and traditional rulers among others together to meaningfully engage their followers. In the five divisions, the leaders featured prominently all through. For instance, the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu led a retinue of white-cap chiefs and traditional heads to the Bar Beach, Victoria Island where residents of Lagos Island marked the festival of One Lagos.
Also, the Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, Senator Ganiyu Solomon and Senator Olamilekan Adeola among others featured prominently at Agege Stadium. Likewise, the Deputy Governor, Dr. Oluranti Adebule was not left behind in Badagry. All members of the State Executive Council and all representatives in the National and State Assemblies held forte in their various divisions.
Apparently, the manner political bigwigs mobilised and celebrated with their constituents was no doubt an indication that Ambode had found a winning formula to penetrate the heart of every Lagos division. Basically, Ayorinde said, the festival of One Lagos is not a political gathering, but an initiative to build and nurture a sense of belonging and the spirit of togetherness in all strata of Lagos.
This is how the governor pictured the idea of “One Lagos.” He first saw it in the light of his campaign promises. And at the heart of his campaign promises is the resolve to run an all-inclusive government, where every community will not be left out in the scheme of affairs. It thus explained why he said the festival of One Lagos “is a fulfillment of his campaign promises as well as improving on what he met on ground on all fronts.”
It also explained why the governor recalled the last time he visited Agege Stadium. He thus said:“I am back again to fulfill one of the promises he made to the people then. The last time I came to this stadium was during the campaign. I came with President Muhammadu Buhari. He had sent us the Minister of Information and Culture to come back here and say a big thank to the people of Lagos.
“We promised that we are going to bring governance to the communities. We promised that we would run a government of inclusion where all Lagos residents will be incorporated in everything we will be doing in the state. That is why One Lagos Fiesta is about Lagos people. We want every youth and parent to enjoy what others have been enjoying in all nooks and crannies of the state.”
Indisputably, the festival of “One Lagos” earned the support of President Buhari at its takeoff. In a message he conveyed through the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Buhari revealed presidency’s plan “to create a calendar of cultural and creative arts festivals across the federation,” which he said, would foster the spirit of national harmony and unity.
He therefore described the programme as the biggest of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa capable of building a new consciousness that could transforms the country politically and socially. He observed that the festival of One Lagos succeeded in bringing government much closer to the people in all administrative divisions namely Agege, Badagry, Epe, Ikorodu and Lagos Island. Aside, the minister said, it had equally showcased the multi-cultural endowment and arts of various communities in the divisions.
From all indications, the minister acknowledged how Ambode’s re-organisation of Lagos countdown “had ignited a new consciousness that we are a people irrespective of our differences. It is in line with what the federal government is planning. We intend to create a calendar of cultural and creative arts festivals across the federation in such a way that we will have at least one festival of culture or creative arts every day of the year.
“The strategy we plan to adopt is simple: We will work with 36 states of the federation to give us a list of 10 cities where key festivals are held every year. That will translate to 360 cities, plus another five from each of the five areas constituting the Federal Capital Territory, making 365 cities. In other words, we will have a festival of Culture/Creative Arts every day of the 365 days in a year.”
But beyond all said, Ambode said the festival of One Lagos “is indeed a demonstration of my bond with Lagos people across all cultural, economic, political, religious and social lines.” This thinking, according to him, the idea was conceived to nurture a new consciousness that promotes the spirit of One Lagos; One Love and a state where every voice counts and every grievance is accommodated.
Source: This Day Live News
