Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has declared opened a multimillion-naira Cinema House in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
The new cinema, called “AJE PLACE” was another unit of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) under the Youth Development Center of the Library, located along Mercy Road, Panseke area of the state.
The Special Assistant on Media to the former President, Kehinde Akinyemi in a statement made on Thursday, hinted that the former President used the occasion to warn miscreants not to turn the entertainment center into den of criminals.
The Chairperson of the OOPL Youth Development Centre, Dr Bisi Kolapo said Obasanjo approved the establishment of the “Aje Place” as an offshoot of the OOPL Cinema because the main cinema could no longer take customers trooping into the center.
She said that the new arthouse would boost the socio-economic activities of the neighborhood and catch the attention of the government for further development.
Kolapo warned miscreants “not to turn the cinema into hiding place,” saying Obasanjo who is the Chief Promoter does not condone indiscipline .
“We are appealing to this community to please help us. We don’t want trouble here, we don’t want miscreants, we want this place to be very decent and we want to make it a very good environment for others to follow.
“In addition, we seek to promote peace in this neighborhood and there is no hiding, everybody knows that the Chief Promoter is Baba Olusegun Obasanjo himself,” she said.
The Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Hon. Adijat Adeleye said the Cinema would be a boost to the tourism sector in the state.
She commended Obasanjo for his foresight and commitment to the youth development across the state and in Africa.
“Before, when people come to Ogun State, they go to Olumo Rock, OOPL and other places, but they are limited in the number of places they visit. This place has come to add to the tourism sector of the state. We now have more places to go to and as commissioner for Culture and Tourism, I appreciate the people behind this concept,” she said.
Obasanjo joined by top Egba monarchs, including, the Olowu of Owu kingdom, Oba Saka Matemilola and the Agura of Gbagura, Oba Subree Bakre, the State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Hon Adijat Adeleye and other personalities graced the inauguration of the new cinema house.
