Idris Mamukoyomi is the CEO 02Entertainment, the organiser of the foremost beauty pageant in Ondo State, Miss Ekimogun. He is a descendant of the first Lisa of Ondo Kingdom, High Chief Ponbiyonda. In this interview with EkimogunMirror he talked about how the pageant started, challenges and the misunderstanding with some Ondo Development Committee (ODC) leaders among other issues. Excerpt below.
You have been promoting the cultural values of the Ondos through Miss Ekimogun, the last edition was the 7th. How have you been able to maintain the momentum?
I can say most of the encouragement I get each year from the people within and outside d community has always been propelling us to want to keep the flag flying. I remember vividly when we started in 2009, it appeared alien to a number of people within some age brackets but today it has given birth to a lot of achievable social events in d community.
What are the challenges envisaged?
Yes, if I say it has been rosy, I’ll be deceiving myself and you (laugh). Due to the limited exposure of our people to pageantry; our challenges range from contestants to sponsors as the vision has not being well understood.
How do you intend to intensify the awareness to make them understand the vision?
As it is, we have been able to use our winner year in year out to project the vision as part of their pet projects. And today we have seen the positive effects of their works.
Miss Ekimogun 2015/2016 Olajumoke Adetunji will represent Nigeria at the next Miss Atlantic International 2016. How were you able to strike this deal?
Well there is a saying that if you are succeeding you should be glorifying God. In support of revamping the social development of our community and making Ondo city a reality. We tend to move by creating a traceable map in the world to the new city in Nigeria called Ondo.
The city needs more touristic projects. Is there any plan in place to add another event from the stable of 02Entertainment?
Yeah, the city needs more touristic events to bring in new investors for both social and business development. We are working on about 3 major events that even the state as a whole would want to hijack from the city. While we have two minor events slated for this year prior to Miss Ekimogun.
Can you hint Ekimogunmirror the events?
In no time, we would throw it out and make a proper communication of it to EkimogunMirror.
There was an issue in the public domain about your disagreement with some elders in the city, is it resolved now?
Well it is and it is not. It is resolved in d sense that we have been talking to see how we could bring this event close to ODC’s event. It is not resolved because they do not understand our position for the synergy. I have no issue with Ondo city elders but with some people who are interested in turning Miss Ekimogun to ‘a once upon a time’. We all know that Ekimogun Day belongs to us in the community and no other event that has been youth driven before our organisation came up with Miss Ekimogun beauty pageant in 2009. Since then we have been at loggerheads with the organising committee of Ekimogun Day and few members of Ondo Development Committee.
There is need for this synergy you crave. How do you intend to achieve the synergy?
We can work together to achieve more than what we have been achieving in the past separately. Miss Ekimogun is an event legally owned by 02Entertainment and if that is well understood by our parents body ODC, we would go far together. All am saying is that nobody should lay claim on the ownership of the name EKIMOGUN in as much the commercial law doesn’t recognise it or attach it to any person, place and thing. Miss Ekimogun is legally attached to 02Entertainment from commercial laws of trademarks, copyright, and patients. Can anybody lay claim on Ekimogun Mirror, Ekimogun Recreation Park, Ekimogun club, Ekimogun Maritime, and so on?
Message for sponsors and fans.
I just want to thank them all and also let them know that we would keep making them proud. I want to use this opportunity to thank the CEO of Faith Hall and Hotel Mr Niran Osunwehinmi who has been solidly behind our brand for the past 3 years against all odds.
