A nationalist and elder statesman, Mr Deji Fasuan has applauded Governor of Ekiti state, Mr Kayode Fayemi for his vision at bringing out a cultural policy aimed at reviving and resuscitating the pristine values, ethics, norms, mores, heritage and the tradition which  Ekiti is noted for.

Fasuan, one of the foremost elders who worked tirelessly for the creation of the state made this remark while taking Director-General Ekiti State Council for Arts and Culture, Mr Wale Ojo-Lanre on a tour of his house in Afao Ekiti after the celebration of Aeregbe Festival, on Saturday 7 September 2019.

Fasuan, who was Chairman of the Festival, pointed out that Fayemi’s cultural policy as being implemented by Ekiti State Council for Arts and Culture is serving as pushback to the gradual strangulation of Yoruba tradition and culture.

He urged Fayemi to lubricate, fasten and reinforce the framework and mechanism of his cultural policy for sustainable development and inter-generational perpetuation.

Fasuan commended the Alafao of Afao, Mr Joseph Ademilua, his Chiefs and the people of the town for the promotion of the Odun Ijesu Oba (a hitherto private event of the Kabiyesi to a Community festival), and called on indigenes of the town to come home next years for a grand celebration of the festival.

He disclosed that he has noticed a gradual positive change in the behavioural pattern of Ekiti people and the emerging cultural festivals revival in the state which means that the cultural policy launched by the Governor is working.

Fasuan, while taking the Director-General and his entourage on the tour of his house, an eco-tourism enclave, revealed that his passion to ensure that the sustenance of the  culinary aspect of Ekiti cultural heritage prompted him to inaugurate “Breakfast in the Jungle” - a yearly event being hosted by him - in December when over 300 Ekiti elders converge on his house, cook, pound and eat pounded yam inside the ‘jungle’ within his compound in Afao.

He disclosed that this year’s event would witness an innovation because “we shall admit and allow younger people to be among the participants and be aware of the motive behind the culinary cultural event.”

Ojo – Lanre, earlier in his speech at the palace of Alafao, tasked the indigenes to embrace and promote the cultural festival in their town because of its ability to lubricate wealth, generate revenue and stimulate development.

He assured them that Fayemi had repositioned Ekiti Council for Arts and Culture to brand these festivals and enhance cultural activities in the state for empowerment and development.

Ojo-Lanre thanked Fasuan for the invitation to his eco-tourism enclave, which he described as “an awesome cultural garden in Ekiti painstakingly nurtured, groomed and tended  over the years by a rare Spartan Ekiti idol and leader, which contains indigenous flora of cultural- tourism relevance which must be kept for intergenerational relevance.”