The resurgent COVID-19 pandemic in Europe and other parts of the world has claimed the Greater Lagos Fiesta for the second consecutive time, with the state government suspending the 2021 edition.
Preparations for the fiesta themed ‘Lagos Rocks’ were in top gear until the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture announced the suspension on Saturday.
The Ministry explained that following developments in Europe and elsewhere, coupled with several people coming home to Lagos for the fiesta, the government deemed it fit to follow the latest proactive advice from health authorities.
A release signed by the Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs Uzamat Akinbile-Yusuf, said the government was worried about the crowd that would attend the gatherings and the dangers associated with attendance by members of the Diaspora community, who may be returning from Europe and other parts of the world now experiencing the fourth wave.
She said: “We have seen Germany, Austria, and Greece reintroduce restrictions to curtail the spread of the pandemic. Germany is particularly a country in Europe with many Nigerians, who typically return home for Christmas. This is what science enables us to predict to forestall the tragic experience of last December when scores of our citizens died during the pandemic around yuletide. Our emotions favour going ahead with the plans, but we must, as a responsible government, submit our will to the predictive intelligence and overriding power of science.
“The strategic intent of the State Government in wanting to hold the fiesta was to accelerate the process of reflating the economy of Lagos State by putting money in the hands of our people through the deluge of commercial activities planned to take place during the fiesta. But the imperatives of protecting the lives of our people override all economic and commercial considerations.”
The Commissioner thanked all the corporate sponsors who had indicated interest to support the fiesta. “We will not forget your rare demonstration of goodwill towards the administration of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu and, indeed, the people of Lagos State at a challenging time when businesses are battling with limited resources. You will remain our partners for this and similar initiatives that are in the works”.
Mrs Akinbile-Yusuf advised event organisers and owners of event centres in the state with plans to host events in December to seek the guidance of the Lagos State Safety Commission and the Ministry of Health and enforce strict adherence to all COVID-19 health safety protocols.
The 2021 Greater Lagos Fiesta, a deliberate economic strategy to reflate the state’s economy, was supposed to have started on December 1 with an opening ceremony at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan.
