Minister of Information and Culture, Alhajii Lai Mohammed (middle); the Olofa of Offa, Oba Mufutau Gbadamosi (right) and the outgoing President of the Offa Descendants Union, Alhaji Najeed Yasin (left), at the 2018 Ijakadi Festival in Offa, Kwara State, on Saturday
Minister
of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has chided some
political actors in Kwara State for attempting to trivialize the
April 5, 2018 robbery attack in Offa that left 33 people dead, saying
claims of compensating the victims in monetary terms cannot equate
the lives lost in the incident.
The
Minister, who made the remarks in Offa, Kwara State, on Saturday at
the 2018 Ijakadi Festival, described the efforts to trivialize the
dastardly act as indecent, and called on the people to condemn any
attempt to play politics with human lives.
“In
recent days, there have been attempts by some political desperadoes
to trivialize the calamity that befell this community when those
armed robbers attacked banks and the police station, among others.
These desperadoes were quoted as saying that when they visited this
town to commiserate with the people after the attack, they donated
10 million Naira, even when what was stolen from the banks' vault was
7 million Naira.
''Now,
let us ask them: How many of those who were killed in that attack
have they also been able to bring back? How can any sane person
equate human life with money? No amount of money is worth any human
life. And no one should play politics with human life. All people of
conscience must condemn this glib comment by a desperate political
warlord,” he said.
Alhaji
Mohammed commended the resilience of the people of Offa for
organizing such an elaborate festival, despite the calamity that
befell their community this year, saying it is not surprising because
Ijakadi festival itself is a celebration of the Offa virtues of
strength and determination, as well as equity, justice and wisdom.
He
expressed delight that the people of Offa have resolved that never
again will any armed robber, hoodlum or brigand shed the blood
of any innocent person in the town by raising 700 million Naira to
build an ultra modern Mobile Police Force Barracks in the community.
The
Minister said in keeping with the mandate of the Federal Ministry of
Information and Culture to develop and promote national festivals, a
manager of the Ijakadi Festival has been nominated to attend a
training on festival management in Ghana.
“In
line with our promise during the 2017 Ijakadi Festival, to help train
the managers of this festival, I am happy to announce that come
January 2019, a manager of the Ijakadi Festival will be travelling to
Ghana to attend the training which is being organized by the Ministry
in collaboration with the British Council. I congratulate the nominee
and I am sure he or she will make the best use
of this opportunity,” he said.
In
his remarks, the Olofa of Offa, Oba Mufutau Gbadamosi Esuwoye II,
said the Ijakadi Festival is aimed at sustaining the cultural
heritage of the people and fostering cohesion in Offa community and
its environs.
“Today,
the Ijakadi Festival has, of course, attracted national attention,
corporate bodies and government at all levels. Without any iota of
doubt, this festival has brought development and benefits to Offa
Community,” he said.
Highlights
of the Ijikadi Festival include the traditional wrestling, homage to
the Oba by the various districts, horse racing, hairdo and
traditional attire display, as well as Moremi showpiece.
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