ONDO HOLDS SPECIAL MARE FESTIVAL TO HONOUR DEJI FALAE - COMMISSIONER
Friday, Nov 29 2013 Written by Remi Oladoye
Ondo State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Kayode Akinmade, said that a special edition of the annual mountain climbingcompetition, popularly known as 'Mare festival', would be held this year to celebrate the life and times of the late Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mr. Deji Falae who until his death was the chairman Local Organizing Committee (LOC) of the event.
.The late commissioner and 15 others, died in a fatal crash involving an aircraft on the fleet of the Associated Airlines on October 3 this year while conveying the remains of the late Former Governor Olusegun Agagu from Lagos to Akure for burial.
Akinmade, in a sober mood, told journalists that preparations for the low key celebration have begun in earnest for the 2013 edition of the annual fiesta where various artistes who had packaged interesting songs and short plays in honour of the late Falae, would render them to the admiration of the teeming audience.
He noted that the 2013 edition of the event would further enable the people of the state, to celebrate a man, whose passion for the project in the last two years, had attracted global attention to the State.
He said, "Ordinarily, the state government had thought of suspending the celebration of Mare festival this year because we are still mourning our dearly beloved brother but his friends in the entertainment industry pleaded that we should allow them use the occasion to honour him this year with songs and short plays they had composed for him."
Akinmade said government was perfecting every strategy to immortalise the late Falae by ensuring that the Idanre hills, which are the focal point of the annual fiesta, were listed by the United Nations Educational and Scientific and Cultural Organisation,(UNESCO) as one of the World’s Heritage sites.
He also said government was celebrating the Mare festival annually in order to showcase the Idanre hills to international tourists with the ultimate aim of attracting direct investments in the economy of the state.
Further, Akinmade said the world body had already approved the Idanre Hills nomination dossier and had dispatched independent inspectors to carry out a comprehensive assessment of the facilities at the site as contained in the dossier.
The Commissioner said the current investment by the government to organize the annual festival was necessary in view of the fact that the event had already drawn global attention to Idanre.
He said the state Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, has vowed not to leave any stone unturned to make Idanre the best tourist centre in the country in order to attract foreign and local investors who will invest in hospitality industry, to the state.
He said, “There is no other hills anywhere in the World that could be comparable to what we have in Idanre. The lovely rock formations were special gift to Ondo State and Nigeria in general.”
He commended the people of Idanre for their endurance and hospitality during the previous editions of the festival and promised that the 2013 Edition which has been designed to have the full participation of the Idanre people would be more glamorous to reflect the dream of the late Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, adding that various activities including marathon race, cultural display and mountain climbing competition both by professional and amateur climbers, will as usual, take place while cash prizes and laptops would be presented to winners of various categories — with Remigius Akinbinu and 5 others.
Friday, Nov 29 2013 Written by Remi Oladoye
Ondo State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Kayode Akinmade, said that a special edition of the annual mountain climbingcompetition, popularly known as 'Mare festival', would be held this year to celebrate the life and times of the late Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mr. Deji Falae who until his death was the chairman Local Organizing Committee (LOC) of the event.
.The late commissioner and 15 others, died in a fatal crash involving an aircraft on the fleet of the Associated Airlines on October 3 this year while conveying the remains of the late Former Governor Olusegun Agagu from Lagos to Akure for burial.
Akinmade, in a sober mood, told journalists that preparations for the low key celebration have begun in earnest for the 2013 edition of the annual fiesta where various artistes who had packaged interesting songs and short plays in honour of the late Falae, would render them to the admiration of the teeming audience.
He noted that the 2013 edition of the event would further enable the people of the state, to celebrate a man, whose passion for the project in the last two years, had attracted global attention to the State.
He said, "Ordinarily, the state government had thought of suspending the celebration of Mare festival this year because we are still mourning our dearly beloved brother but his friends in the entertainment industry pleaded that we should allow them use the occasion to honour him this year with songs and short plays they had composed for him."
Akinmade said government was perfecting every strategy to immortalise the late Falae by ensuring that the Idanre hills, which are the focal point of the annual fiesta, were listed by the United Nations Educational and Scientific and Cultural Organisation,(UNESCO) as one of the World’s Heritage sites.
He also said government was celebrating the Mare festival annually in order to showcase the Idanre hills to international tourists with the ultimate aim of attracting direct investments in the economy of the state.
Further, Akinmade said the world body had already approved the Idanre Hills nomination dossier and had dispatched independent inspectors to carry out a comprehensive assessment of the facilities at the site as contained in the dossier.
The Commissioner said the current investment by the government to organize the annual festival was necessary in view of the fact that the event had already drawn global attention to Idanre.
He said the state Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, has vowed not to leave any stone unturned to make Idanre the best tourist centre in the country in order to attract foreign and local investors who will invest in hospitality industry, to the state.
He said, “There is no other hills anywhere in the World that could be comparable to what we have in Idanre. The lovely rock formations were special gift to Ondo State and Nigeria in general.”
He commended the people of Idanre for their endurance and hospitality during the previous editions of the festival and promised that the 2013 Edition which has been designed to have the full participation of the Idanre people would be more glamorous to reflect the dream of the late Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, adding that various activities including marathon race, cultural display and mountain climbing competition both by professional and amateur climbers, will as usual, take place while cash prizes and laptops would be presented to winners of various categories — with Remigius Akinbinu and 5 others.
