Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State has said that the strength of the branding of the state under his administration has been such that no matter how hard traducers try, Osun will remain investor-friendly and capable of attracting the best of minds for positive engagements because of its peace and tranquility.
Chief of Staff to the Governor, Gboyega Oyetola, stated this on Friday, while speaking newsmen shortly after declaring open the 42nd edition of the Annual General Meeting of the Advertising Agencies of Nigeria.
Oyetola said that it was not for nothing that Osun embarked on a re-branding of the state realising the importance of what opportunities await a state on the strength of how it advertises itself to the world.
According to him, “You have come to Osun and you can see for yourselves whether the impression of a famine-gripped state painted by our political opponents are reflected in the faces of the accommodating people you see around.
“The economic challenge of Nigeria must be seen for what it is: a general crisis for which a state or a governor cannot be picked as the scapegoat.
“But unfortunately, that has remained the agenda of those who feel it is possible to destroy the efforts that had in recent years, advertised our state as a pride of the Black race.”
Delivering Governor Aregbesola’s speech earlier, Oyetola said that with construction of roads and other infrastructure put in place by the government during the first term, the state has been able to attract global attention with globally recognised awards for its noble initiatives such as Opon Imo, Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) among others.
He charged the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) to press for greater legal access and control over products, especially political adverts in order to bring greater sanity to the industry.
Aregbesola noted that the association must try as much as possible to control and filter what goes out, thereby ensuring an effective check against advertisements that are not ethical.
He recalled the hate campaign against President Muhammadu Buhari during the last presidential campaign as one which in all ramifications and rating crossed the ethical barrier of advertising world over.
Aregbesola advised the association to do everything at its disposal to ensure that products and political adverts are subjected to thorough scrutiny.
According to him, “a political advert would have opened a window into the political intentions of the advertiser. Indeed, thanks to advertisement, one could never have known of a particular good or service that one needs so badly, and it might just be within one’s reach and a telephone call away.
“However, it was largely agreed recently that some political adverts against the candidature of President Muhammadu Buhari crossed, by a long distant, certain ethical lines, in the build up to the presidential election in March.
“I am sure your association has misgivings about the adverts and must surely regret that they were not subjected to your censorship”. The governor stressed.
Aregbesola commended the association for making Osun the venue of the Annual general meeting, saying the choice of Osun is apt because of its historical significance as the cradle of the Yoruba race.
The governor also told members of the association that Osun being one of the most peaceful states in Nigeria will offer them a serene environment and an abundance of nature’s best expression in its various formation.
He said, “as you all know, the Osun Grove is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Oluminrin Waterfall is one of the best in the world, it will soon be transformed into an international tourist centre.
“We have just involved an international tourism consortium that is injecting $18 million in the first phase of the development of the site.
“There are 48 other iconic tourist attractions in the state. It is my hope that you will maximise your visit by exploring these nature’s beauties in addition to the warm and unsurpassed hospitality of our people”.
Speaking earlier, the President of Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria, Kelechi Nwosu, commended Governor Aregbesola for patronising only qualified advertising agencies in promoting the initiatives of the state.
He noted that Osun state has shown so much promise to build her economy while working with branding experts from AAAN.
Nwosu added that the Association will continue to provide support as branding experts and communication specialists to expand and deepen peace in Osun.
He pointed out that the role of the association in national development goes beyond offering marketing communication services to private sector, but engendering proper understanding of government policies to the public.
The AAAN boss added that engendering understanding of government policies, people will be able to participate, benefit and contribute to the growth of the economy.
He said, “we thank Your Excellency for your kind support to our association and members by patronising only qualified advertising agencies. We also will continue to provide support as branding experts to your state to expand the peace and prosperity your state has been enjoying”.
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