By Charles Okogene
When Mr. Babatunde Rji Fashola was in charge in Lagos State, he conceptualised the idea of an end of the year music festival, named it Countdown Lagos, and made it a day affair.
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In 2015 Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode took over the baton of political power from him and called it One Lagos Festival. He not only changed the name but made it an eight-day event that criss-crossed all the divisions in the state.
Now power has changed hand to Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the man everyone in the State of Excellency thought, will make ‘continuity’ his watch word has started to be his own man ‘like’ Ambode; he is beginning with the festival, which he has renamed Greater Lagos Festival and like One Lagos Festival, it will also happen for eight days beginning from December 25 2019 all over the five divisions so said Mr. Solomon Bonu, the Special Adviser to the state governor on Tourism, Arts and Culture.
From the statement of the Special Adviser, nothing has really changed about the festival except that unlike Ambode days, the Special Adviser failed to mention the names of the musicians that will perform at festival.
According to him, the festival will feature a drumming session akin to what Senator Ibikunle Amosun did in Ogun State.
The Lagos festival is gradually becoming a conduit pipe and job for boys platform as it is not clear if Lagosians really need it considering the avalanche of shows that will take place in the city this December ending; rather than filter away tax payers’ money in the name of organising concert where civil servants will enrich their pockets, what the good people of Lagos needs this season is adequate security and good transportation system to take them wherever it is happening. Just like they say that government has no business in business, it will not be out of place to also say that government certainly has nothing to do by organising musical festival; that ought to be a private sector initiative with government providing the enabling environment like security, transportation and adequate electricity supply.
It is certainly not in the place of government to begin to organise a music festival at this time of the nation’s development, whether One Lagos Festival or Two Lagos festiva or Greater or Lesser Lagos Festival, the activity will only serve as an avenue for politicians and civil servants to line their pockets with funds from the public treasury like some folks did during Ambode’s One Lagos Festival.
Greater Lagos Festival must be stopped now!
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