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SDP Chieftain Urges Governor Adeleke To Repair UNESCO Osun-Osogbo Grove Road Amid Festival
SDP Chieftain Urges Governor Adeleke To Repair UNESCO Osun-Osogbo Grove Road Amid Festival
POLITICS
The Nigerian Record
7/26/20264 min read
The South West Zonal Organising Secretary of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Wale Balogun, has called on Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, to immediately rehabilitate the access road leading to the UNESCO-listed Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove before the grand finale of the 2026 Osun-Osogbo Festival scheduled for Friday, August 7.
In a letter addressed to the governor on Saturday, Balogun expressed disappointment over what he described as the deplorable condition of the road leading to the internationally recognised heritage site, arguing that the situation reflected official neglect of one of Nigeria's foremost cultural and tourism assets.
Titled, "Rehabilitate the Road to the UNESCO-Listed Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove Before the Grand Finale of the 2026 Osun-Osogbo Festival," the letter stated that the poor condition of the access road undermined the importance of a site that attracts thousands of worshippers, tourists, researchers and members of the African diaspora annually.
Balogun wrote, "As the grand finale of the internationally acclaimed Osun-Osogbo Festival draws near on Friday, 7 August 2026, I write, on behalf of concerned lovers of Yoruba culture and heritage, to express profound disappointment over the deplorable condition of the access road to the Osun Sacred Grove."
Describing the Osun Sacred Grove as "a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the world's most celebrated centres of Yoruba spirituality, history and civilisation," he noted that the site generates economic activity while projecting the cultural identity of Osun State and Nigeria to the international community.
"It is therefore unacceptable that visitors to such an internationally recognised heritage site must contend with a road that has become a symbol of official neglect," he said.
According to him, the issue extends beyond infrastructure and reflects the level of commitment successive governments have shown towards preserving Yoruba cultural heritage.
Balogun praised the administration of former Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, for promoting indigenous culture and traditional religion.
"One administration that understood this responsibility was that of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola," he said.
He added, "His government elevated the status of traditional religion and Yoruba culture by officially recognising 20 August as Isese Day, a landmark initiative that has since been replicated by other South West states. His administration also extended institutional support to traditional worshippers, provided assistance for Isese celebrations and encouraged international cultural exchanges by facilitating visits of respected traditional religious leaders to Cuba and Brazil, where Yoruba heritage continues to thrive."
Balogun stated that, regardless of differing opinions about Aregbesola's policies, "it left no doubt that indigenous culture deserved recognition, respect and government support."
He argued that, "It is difficult to believe that the road leading to the Osun Sacred Grove would have been left in its present deplorable condition under an administration that consciously promoted Yoruba cultural heritage."
The SDP chieftain further alleged that the progress made during Aregbesola's tenure was reversed under the administration of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola and claimed the current administration had failed to improve the situation.
"Unfortunately, the momentum built during that period was weakened and degenerated under the administration of Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola.
"Rather than reversing that unfortunate trend, your administration appears to have continued it by failing to accord adequate attention to one of Osun State's greatest cultural and tourism assets," he stated.
Balogun said the alleged neglect was inconsistent with the Adeleke administration's people-oriented image.
"This is particularly disappointing because your administration has repeatedly projected itself as people-oriented and committed to the welfare of Osun citizens. Such a commitment should naturally extend to preserving the history, traditions and cultural institutions that define the identity of our people," he wrote.
He also criticised what he described as unequal government attention to different religious communities.
"Government cannot continue to devote substantial public resources to supporting religious pilgrimages while the infrastructure serving an internationally recognised indigenous cultural and religious festival is left to decay. In a secular state, every faith and every aspect of our cultural heritage deserves fairness, respect and equitable government attention," he stated.
Balogun described the Osun-Osogbo Festival as "far more than a religious celebration," saying it is "an economic asset, a tourism driver, a cultural institution and a source of international prestige."
He urged the governor to order immediate emergency rehabilitation of the road before the festival's grand finale.
"I therefore call on your administration to commence immediate emergency rehabilitation of the road leading to the Osun Sacred Grove and ensure that it is made motorable before the grand finale of the festival on Friday, 7 August 2026. This is an achievable task if treated with the urgency it deserves," he said.
Beyond the immediate repairs, he called for a permanent maintenance programme for the Grove and its surrounding infrastructure to preserve the integrity of the globally recognised heritage site.
Balogun also made a political appeal, noting that traditional religion practitioners and cultural custodians constitute a significant voting population across Osun State and the South West.
"Governments earn political goodwill by treating every community with fairness and respect. Conversely, any government perceived to neglect indigenous culture or discriminate against traditional worshippers should not assume that their electoral support is guaranteed. Respect for culture and heritage must be demonstrated through concrete action, not merely ceremonial speeches," he stated.
He concluded by urging Governor Adeleke to use the opportunity to leave a positive legacy before the international community converges on Osogbo for the annual festival.
"The world is coming to Osogbo. Let it witness a government that honours its heritage through action rather than one remembered for neglecting one of Africa's greatest cultural monuments.
"History will judge every administration not only by the roads it constructed, but also by the heritage it preserved for future generations," Balogun said.