Why We Celebrate Remo Day Festival
The Akarigbo and the Paramount Ruler of Remo land Oba Babatunde Ajayi, has stressed the need for indigenes of Remo in diaspora to continue to see to the development of their Fatherland, Speaking during a press interview at his Sagamu palace, the progressive minded monarch spoke on issues as it relates to the steady growth of Remo and Nigeria at large. Excerpts.
Q: Kabiyesi what is the meaning of Remo Day Festival?
A: The Annual Remo Day Festival is a day set aside for all sons and daughters of Remo home and diaspora, to come together and give glory to God, encourage the spirit of oneness knowing fully well that Remo is a force to reckon with.
We commenced the program three years ago and we are prepared to improve on our previous outing, the economic significance of the event can not be over emphasized as people troop out in their large numbers to rejoice with us.
Apart from the fact that the business environments will be improved upon during this period, it will also give the people the opportunity to see the industrial atmosphere in Remo, and I will keep saying that most of the industries coming into Nigeria are established in Remo and this is so because Remo is conducive for business activities and I will continue to encourage our people that they should invest in their fatherland because all the resources they required is available.
Q: Stakeholders were of the view that community policing is the pinnacle to insecurity in Nigeria what is your position on this sir?
A: Any challenge you see there must be a solution, during a function with the state government, I did reiterate the fact that, community policing is long over due.
Yes no community is crime free but efforts must be made to ensure that our people could sleep with their two eyes closed, yes local policing is expensive , of course we have the challenges of funding by and large even corporate organisations have continued to seek our support as regards security and it is a process we need to sustain.
The government needs to move away from the atmosphere of sit down and look because they need to fund community policing and it will work for everyone of us.
Q: Alayeluwa, don't you think there is the need for constitutional roles for royal fathers?
A: It is long over due and I think the national Assembly is working on that and I think the issues now are, what should be the role of traditional rulers and I think nobody in the country is against the issues on ground, the fact is that, how far do they want royal fathers to go.
I have used my connections to attract foreign investment to Remo and there have been unprecedented infrastructural growth.
Q: Kabiyesi, are you going to upscale Remo Day Festival for it to compete with Calabar Festival?
A: We are not competing with anybody because some festival are just entertainment but ours is preservation of cultural heritage more so in Remo, we want to exhibit our cultural values to the outside world and further attract tourist to Remo Division.
By and large we must ensure that our culture and tradition must not go into extinction because there is space for all the religion, be it traditional, Christianity and Islam, we are all one and all the religion are to glorified the almightiness of God in our life.
Q: Kabiyesi what is your message to indigenes of Remo land who are afraid of coming back here?
A: Remo is peaceful and Remo is conducive for industrialization, therefore they have nothing to fear about. East or West home is the best.
They should use the opportunity of attending Remo Day to invest in their fatherland and we will do everything possible to support them.
Q: Alayeluwa what are your future prospect for Remo land?
A: My priority is nothing but development, development and development.
