Ekiti Cultural Troupe Ready for African Drum Festival - Ojo Lanre

Director-General, Ekiti State Council of Arts and Culture, Mr Wale Ojo-Lanre, has disclosed that the Ekiti State Cultural Troupe would participate in the 2019 edition of the African Drum Festival, holding in Abeokuta.

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  The third edition of African Drum festival, a cultural event initiated by Ogun State government is scheduled to hold between May 25 and 27 in Abeokuta, is a global pot of cultural convergence of creative arts stakeholders with limitless opportunities.

  
  

  Speaking with journalists at the Cultural Centre, Ado Ekiti, Ojo-Lanre said that Governor Fayemi has mobilised the Council to ensure quality participation at the global cultural event.

  
  

  He revealed that the level of preparedness of the state cultural troupe is encouraging, pointing out that the troupe is ready to not only to participate but to coast home with honour and trophy.

  
  

  He said, "The troupe is oiling its rehearsals and toiling night and day to stage the best performance during the festival and I am sure its effort will translate into victory at the festival and another cultural event in the country".

  
  

  Ojo-Lanre also said " Part of my plans as the DG is to enhance the performance of this wonderful troupe, promote its activities and ensure its prominence in events within and outside shores of Nigeria."

  
  

  "The vision of our Governor Kayode Fayemi is to rejuvenate, showcase and promote the cultural values of Ekiti to the whole world and he has promised to give us necessary moral and financial empowerment to pursue and achieve this."

  
  

  The DG also disclosed the Council's readiness to construct an art village and gallery as well as create enabling an environment for the development of talents and creativity to thrive in the state.

  
  

  Ojo-Lanre, however, called on indigenes to support Ekiti state Council of Arts and Culture in promoting the rich and unique cultural values and heritage of Ekiti people and Nigeria at large.
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CITY PEOPLE PUBLISHER, DR SEYE KEHINDE CELEBRATES 54TH BIRTHDAY

Every 24th of April is always special for the family members of Dr Seye Kehindeas it marks the birthday of one of Nigeria’s topmost media practitioners.

SK, as he is fondly called by friends and colleagues, is the publisher/editor-in-chief of City People Magazine which he founded in 1996.

He has grown the magazine over the years from just a tabloid to having other sister platforms especially online.

Seye Kehinde, born April 24, 1965, to Civil Servants parents hails from Ishara in Ogun State.

He graduated from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science.

He also has a post graduate Diploma in Journalism. After his Youth Service at Kwara Polytechnic in Ilorin in 1986, he wrote for Herald from 1987 to 1988.

He moved to Lagos worked with Insider Weekly,published by African Confidential. Between 1988 and 89. He was with ThisWeek, which is now ThisDay, African Concord, and Concord newspapers, in 1990.

SK has always admired human-interest publications like National Enquirer, Vintage People etc.

He took a sabbatical from TheNews Magazine to go try his hands on his idea of a soft sell magazine.

It paid off, and he has not looked back ever since.

His publications have grown to include City People Weeklyand City People Fashion and Style, City People TV, City People Instagram, Facebookand Twitter, www.citypeopleonline.com, www.citypeopleparties.com.

He is a Fellow, Centre for Foreign Journalist and Member, Nigerian Institute of Journalism. He has won several awards and recognition for his contributions to society.

The entire management and members of staff of the City People Group wish City People Magazine's Publisher Dr. Seye Kehinde happy birthday and pray for more prosperous years ahead!!
-Dare Salami

Fayemi Inaugurates First Hike Ekiti Mountains

EKITI State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has inaugurated the first ever Hike Ekiti Mountain, which was attended by hikers from within and outside the country.

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  Fayemi, represented by the state's Chief of Staff, Mr Biodun Omoleye, noted that Ekiti State has the largest number of mountains, which according to him are best for Mountain Safari.

  
  

  Hike Ekiti Mountains Safari is an initiative of Discover Ekiti Project, which is committed to projecting, showcasing and promoting astounding and astonishing potentials that Ekiti has which the world does not know about.

  
  

  The Governor also disclosed his plans to encourage private investors participation in the development of tourism in the state, saying "machinery has been set in motion to help in the design and implementation of the Ekiti Tourism Development Master Plan, which would propel the actualisation of my arts, culture and tourism visions for the state.

  
  

  "This is to position Ekiti State as foreigners' state in the country to own a Tourism Development Plan and attain leadership target in the global tourism market."

  
  

  Fayemi stressed the unwavering determination of his administration to translate the huge arts, culture and tourism endowments in the state to opportunities and benefits.

  
  

  The state Director-General, Council for Arts and Culture, Mr Wale Ojo-Lanre, in his address described the state as a bundle of arts, culture and tourism.

  
  

  Ojo-Lanre, who described Hike Ekiti Mountain an avenue to project Ekiti state, revealed Governor Fayemi's keen interest in amplifying the ideas of the youths in promoting the state and making her economy more viable.

  
  

  "Ekiti State is blessed with numerous arts, culture and tourists sites - waterfalls, hills, breath-taking valleys, vast tracks of unspoiled nature, wildlife reserves, unique natural-warm and cold therapeutic springs, which the Governor Fayemi-led administration is set to project to boost the economy of the state.

  
  

  "We are set to explore all these to turn Ekiti State to a best-desired tourism destination region and create wealth for the people of the state," Ojo-Lanre said.

  
  

  The Director-General, Ekiti State Bureau of Employment, Labour and Productivity, Mr Olanrewaju Ogunjobi, commended the Hike Ekiti Mountains initiative charged Ekiti youths to explore their talents, and come up with ideas capable of developing the society, creating employment and wealth.

  
  

  "Governor Fayemi-led administration is passionate about developing and empowering the youths in the state, thereby securing a brighter and buoyant future for the state," Ogunjobi said.

  
  

  A member of the team, Peculiar Michael, said: "Hike Ekiti Mountain Safari is envisioned to a periodic outdoor adventure that will help the project, showcase and promote Ekiti hills and mountains as a choice destination for mountaineering outdoor adventure in the world."

  
  

  Busuyi Ashaolu, an international hiker who has also hiked Kilimanjaro and other notable mountains in the world commended the state government and organiser for the Hike Ekiti Mountain project.

  
  

  He urged them not to relent on their efforts at showcasing and promoting tourism potentialities in Ekiti to the world.
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