Agege stadium was totally deserted. Ikorodu town hall was under lock and key. No music; no stage set-up; no trading activity and no crowd.
There was no life!
No Greater Lagos extravaganza which the Lagos State Government promised would start simultaneously across the 5 IBILE venues on Xmas day.
At the Epe recreation youth centre, crowd came out, only to meet a lonely DJ struggling to hold the restive crowd. No single artiste, upcoming or superstar, to flag off what was meant to kick start a 7-day extravaganza. The crowd looked in bewilderment, seeing nothing close to what they had been fed with in the last four years. DJ struggled to invite a few young lads on stage for dance. But it held no spark. Minutes ran into a few hours of the same lifeless show. And then it was all over.
The same dim atmosphere pervaded Badagry grammar school venue of the Badagry show. Royalties and VIPs were not in sight. In the absence of artistes to entertain, Son of the soil, Bonu Solomon Sanu, who is SA to Governor Jide Sanwoolu on Culture mounted the stage himself to dance local 'ogu' dance. The show never really took off. It was all over by 10pm. Disappointments written on many faces.
The Eko Atlantic, Victoria Island venue recorded a bit of life, mainly with the DJ, MC and a few dance groups to entertainment the revellers. It was a fair attempt, but far from the spark of what Lagosians were used to. None of the location was broadcast live on Ltv as it used to be in previous years.
Day 1 of what was meant to be Great Lagos Fiesta fell flat. The promise of a 7-day, 5-venue extravaganza started on a wrong note. The 35-concert show promised by Tourism Commissioner, Shuli Adebolu, turns a mirage.
Did Lagos State Government lie to the public or the organisers - ministry of tourism, were and ill prepared and overwhelmed?
Findings shows it was combination of both. Planning was obviously defective and communication was confusing.
Tourism ministry officials in hush tones exonerate themselves, saying the blame for a shoddy start should be laid st the table of the Commissioner and her external consultant who abandoned the previous template and refused to carry them along till the last minute when the show could no longer be salvaged.
It was learned that the main consultant for the show is linked to Seyi Tinubu, son of APC national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who is said to have been paid upfront the entire budget provision ordinarily meant to produce the usual 8-day, 5-venue show.
But the consultant reportedly said their brief was to produce a spectacular show at Eko Atlantic on December 31st to usher in the new year, the reason why they tagged it Greater Lagos 2020. To them, all artistes contracted plus the planned drone show are meant for December 31st.
Government sources however disclosed that the ministry was constrained to return to the previous template of One Lagos Fiesta as done under the previous government because of petition from local governments in Ikorodu, Badagry, Epe, and Ikeja-Agege divisions not to abandon the OLF template because of its attendant joy and economic benefits to people of those localities.
More importantly, the House of Assembly was said to have reminded the ministry that the budgetary provision for the show stipulated that it was meant for 8 days and 5 locations, and any attempt to spend the entire sum in one day will violate appropriation law.
Sensing danger and unable to retrieve the money paid to the consultants, the ministry was forced to first propose a staggered show that will have the fiesta move from one location to the other for five days till the final day that will hold simultaneously across the 5 ibile zones.
Still not satisfactory to the House of Assembly, the ministry finally settled for a 7-day, 5-venue show without the children's corner that used to hold in the afternoon and the Lagos Grows Talent competition that woukd have started audition few weeks to the event in all the 5 locations.
A popular betting organisation is said to have come to the ministry's aid with sponsorship after all attempts to get additional approval from the governor failed.
The Speaker, Obasa is believed to have been disappointed that the show did not hold on Day 1 of the extravaganza in his own zone. Governor Sanwoolu also did not visit any of the venues contrary to what was announced in the media.
An anonymous senior government official at the Eko Atlantic zone show opined that Tourism ministry should not have deviated from successful template of the last four years. "They should have toed the line of education ministry which has continued with the template of Ready, Set Work without changing its original name. Governor did not instruct anybody to tamper with a fiesta that has brought joy and economic gain to millions of Lagosians. To the best of my knowledge, he only asked them to rename it as Greater Lagos Fiesta. Let's hope they have not turned it to a memorable lesser Lagos extravaganza".

Na wa o.