By Gbenga Ojikutu
Following the recent craze by some youths to beat frenzy The Ekiti State to beat the Guinness World Record the Ekiti State Governent yesterday placed a ban on the planned three-day kissing marathon to set the Guinness World Record in the state.
This followed an announcement trending in the social media space by a group identified as Sugartee who had fixed July 7 for the commencement of the longest world kissing marathon in a popular amusement park in Ado, the state capital.
However, in a letter addressed to the Ekiti State Hoteliers Association dated July 3, 2023, by the Ministry of Arts and Culture, the state government threatened to sanction any facility that hosted the event.
The letter signed by the Director of Tourism, Adebanji Adelusi, noted that the planned event tagged ‘Kiss-a-thon ‘ was capable of denigrating the image of the state.
The statement reads inter alia; “Kiss-a-thon” as an event is not only absurd, immoral, unhealthy and capable of denigrating the image of Ekiti, it is a programme that runs countrary to the values of the people of the state and, therefore, capable of plunging our youths morally backwards.
“Following this, the Ministry of Arts, Culture and Tourism hereby prohibits such an event or any related events like it in any facility that wishes to continue to operate lawfully in Ekiti State”.
