Nigerians and foreign tourists, who are already excited over the Eyo festival recently  announced by the Lagos state government to hold on 2 October, 2010, have been  disappointed following its postponement.

The organisers of the festival, which showcases the cultural heritage of the state, said  the event was shifted indefinitely because it coincided with the General Certificate  Examination (GCE).

Announcing the postponement, Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Opeyemi Bamidele,  and his counterpart in the Ministry of Home Affairs and Culture, Babatunde Balogun, said  the state government was concerned about the success of the students.

They said they had sent messages to all invited guests and tourists to the event and that  the government had advised Oba Rilwan Akiolu of Lagos  and the Oniru of Oniruland to fix  a new date and convey it to the government.

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“The reason for the postponement is because of our commitment to education as the bedrock  of our government.

“Well over 15, 000 students would be writing the GCE on that Saturday and that would mean  having a major conflict with the festival as planned,” Bamidele said.

Explaining further, Balogun said about 55 schools would be serving as examination centres  in the state on that day.

“We will continue with the sensitisation and the mascots around the streets of Lagos  would remain while we wait for a new date that would be communicated,” he said.

—Eromosele Ebhomele