By Jimoh Babatunde with agency reports
The National Coordinator of the O’odua People’s Congress (OPC), Otunba Gani Adams,  has called on the government to preserve  Nigeria’ s cultural artifacts as a way of  keeping the country’s history and collective identity. Adams made this call in Osogbo  during the 2011 Osun Osogbo.

Gani also spoke on the need for   a cultural revolution, saying it was the only way  for  Nigeria to develop as a nation.

He said: “It is not exaggeration to say that this country is richly endowed with the necessary human and material resources which placed it in a better position to satisfy the desire for progress and development. However, there is an urgent need for reactivating the country’s productive resources to capacity and for enhancing its developmental process.

Government, through its agencies, as a matter of urgency, should safeguard our cultural works which have the required transformational potential that can enhance our individual and collective efforts in the ongoing development process.

“For Nigeria to develop socially, economically and politically, there is an urgent need for a cultural revolution. This revolution should face European cultural imperialism.There is need for consistent and positive agenda for the implementation of  national cultural policy as well as charting new directions in cultural and national development.

Our ability to recognize and address the issues of our indigenous culture should be seen as success. It must, therefore, be inscribed in our minds that, through cultural education, respect and pride in our cultural heritage, we can foster a conscious national identity and imbibe patriotic feelings.”

On the Osun grove, Adams called on the federal government to ensure the physical development of the 55-hectare tourist site.He said the development would help in creating employment opportunities for many.  Gain advocated that other touristic activities such as theme parks should be built around the grove as this would place it in better position to attract more tourist visitors from different parts of the world.

On the current case in court over the Ataoja of Osogbo stool, Adams called for dialogue among the opposing groups, advising that internal mechanisms within the traditional set-up should be used to settle the dispute.

He continued:“It is exceedingly important that for visionary indigenes of Osogbo community to make realistic appraisal of the general situation and come to a point of ensuring peaceful co-existence and harmony so as to move Osogbo forward.

NTDC   promises to upgrade Allah  spring  tourist site

The Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation has promised to weave  a festival around the Gadan Allah spring water   in Niger State to elevate  the statue of the  site .

The pristine spring water site which has been variously described as a veritable tourist location in Niger State is said to possess the potential of enriching Nigeria’s tourism fortunes which will further translate into viable economic gains for the State and the country at large.

The Director General of the Corporation, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe revealed that after a thorough assessment of the site, the NTDC may further recommend it to appropriate Federal government agency which will also recommend it to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for subsequent global promotion.

Otunba Runsewe made this known while receiving a delegation from Niger State led by the Commissioner for Information, Communication and Strategy, Danladi Umar Abdulhameed.

The NTDC’s Director General said, “Gadan Allah will be one of our destinations and with the permission of the chief Servant of Niger State, I will suggest the development of a national festival around the Gadan Allah”

Runsewe added “I must say that the Chief Servant of Niger State is a very unique and highly detribalized person just as the people of Niger State are unique and I commend him for your appointment. Niger State is the first to have visited the NTDC in this dispensation with interest on how to move tourism forward in our country.”

“Your visit is divine because there is an ongoing initiative by the NTDC on tourism virtual tour and we are presently in Niger state capturing various tourism sites so that you don’t need to visit Niger State before you see some of these locations, instead you can simply view them by taking a virtual tour through the computer system.

Otunba Runsewe reaffirmed his resolve to promote the Gadan Allah spring water site as a tourist location of international repute assuring the visitors that the Niger State vision 20-20 is realizable with the efforts thus far while recognizing the fact that there were still challenges, he expressed his confidence in surmounting them.

Runsewe said he will also suggest the creation of a rail system from Abuja to Minna as this will further boost tourism in the state.

Earlier, the Commissioner while thanking the DG for accepting to receive him despite the short notice, intimated that the reason for his visit was to say “well-done and keep it up”.

He informed the NTDC boss that the vision of the present administration in Niger State is to transform the State into a viable economic hub ranking among the top 3 in Nigeria by 20-20 noting that for this to be achieved, there was the need to emulate proactive Nigerians like Otunba Runsewe and align with his result-oriented disposition.