New Yam Festival: Businessman tasks farmers on protection of environment

New Yam Festival: Businessman tasks farmers on protection of environment

Saturday, August 28, 2021 8:00 pm


Takete Ide Progressives Union, TIPU officers in Ilorin

Takete Ide Progressives Union officers during the celebration of the New Yam festival in Ilorin

Richard Elesho/ Lokoja

Farmers and industrialists in Nigeria have been urged to pay attention to safety and protection of the environment as they go about their daily and professional activities.

The advice was given in Ilorin on Saturday during the New Yam festival of the Takete Ide community in the city, by a businessman and National President of Takete Ide Progressives Union, TIPU, Engr. Dare Richard Fiki.

Fiki who harped on community development also called on the people to be united and shun politics of bitterness and acrimony.

Earlier, Prof. Olutimeyin Atte of the Faculty of Agriculture University of Ilorin spoke on the different types of yams and the importance of the New Yam Festival. He noted that the festival was “instituted by our forefathers for Thanksgiving to God on good harvests and peace.

“We all met the new yam festival and inherited it from our fathers. It signifies newness, harvest and peace. Yam is a foremost produce in the community. It bonds all festivals, ceremonies and people together. It was a common denominator.

Atte charged people to ensure the survival of tradition through careful handover to the younger generation.

Chairman of the occasion Engr. Edward Meseko commended the organisers for putting the festival together noting that it is a strong instrument for fostering peace, tourism and cultural heritage.

Mr. Dare Elewa, Chairman of TIPU in Ilorin in a comment explained that the annual event is part of efforts to entrench the community in a foreign land charged other socio-cultural groups to emulate the practice.

The ceremony which held  inside the Niger River Basin Hall, attracted dignitaries from far and wide including Hon. Eric Fiki, Engr. Adewale Aloko, Chief Emmanuel Luke, Mr. Tayo Abimbola, Mrs Yemisi Olatunji, Bodunde Abimbola and Alhaji Gidado.


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