The Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly, Yakubu Salihu-Danladi, has urged the people of the state to support the state governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, in his quest to make the state economically viable with culture and tourism development as catalysts.

Yakubu said this in an interview with journalists at the 2023 Gaani Festival in Gwanara Emirate, Baruten Local Government Area of the state on Saturday.

The speaker noted that the present administration has shown its commitment to using culture and tourism to stimulate the state's economy, especially with heavy investments in the creative industry.

He explained that the governor has also given priority to the promotion of culture in the three senatorial districts of the state through the annual celebration of festivals of local communities.

The speaker, however, pledged requisite legislative support to the state government to harness the potential in the cultural sector for the common good of Kwarans.

Danladi commended the people of Gwanara for trooping out in large numbers for the commemoration of the Gaani festival in the ancient town.

“It is a festival that attracts princes and princesses wherever they are all over the world, they will come down to witness the day.

“As far as culture is concerned, the governor of Kwara has been doing wonderfully well to promote our cultural heritage. I know since 2019 till date, the state government has been contributing to Gaani and other festivals in other senatorial districts, and obviously, the direction of these festivals is changing.

“We urge the governor to keep up the work, and as legislators, we will support him to promote culture and tourism”, the speaker said.

The Emir of Okuta and Chairman, Baruten Emirate Council, Idris Abubakar-Shero, said the festival was not new to the people of Batonum, describing it as an inheritance from the progenitor of the Borgu kingdom.

“We have to observe the festival because it is what we inherited from our great grandfathers. It is not a new thing to us. Here, we observe it yearly.

“It is synonymous with Maulud Nabiyy as we have in Islam. Because of distance, we cannot collectively observe it in the whole of Baruten Local Government same time. That is why it is observed in each of the Emirates in the local government”.

Similarly, the Emir of Gwanara, Sabi Idris, who spoke through the Magaji Ngeri of Gwanara, Ahmed Aliyu, at the festival that played host to dignitaries from all walks of life, recalled that the festival was fashioned out of Eid-el-Maulud, the period designated for the celebration of the birth of Prophet Muhammad in Islam.

He said the occasion provided a rare opportunity for a reunion among the people of the town beyond its economic impact.

Aliyu said, “The significance of the festival is the remembrance of Eid-el-Maulud. But by tradition, we call it Gaani, and every year, we perform it in the whole of Baruten comprising the four districts.

“The importance of this is very enormous reasons. There are some who are far away from us. They say out of sight is not out of mind. The people who could not visit you frequently, at least, should visit you once a year.

“So, that is the reason we are holding it. People that are faraway, who cannot travel always or occasionally to this place, must visit once a year. The gathering is enormous. Most of the Emirs are around. Those that are not here are represented by their delegates”.

The festival, which drew top government officials and stalwarts of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and was held at the open field of the new palace of the Emir of Gwanara, featured a cultural display.

Eminent dignitaries at the event were the deputy speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Ojo Oyebode; Chairman, Kwara State APC chapter, Sunday Fagbemi; party stalwarts, members of the state House of Assembly and traditional rulers.

Also in attendance was the Emir of Ilesha-Baruba, Prof. Halidu Abubakar, who led other monarchs and district heads to the traditional festival.