From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
Olumirin Waterfalls, Erin-Ijesa, Oriade Local Government, Osun State, is the place to visit. Tourists flock into it every festive season, weekends and some other days. It is seen as a place to go for fun.
However, findings showed that visitors to the site have greatly reduced in recent times. International tourists have not been visiting the site due to the security situation. Unavailability of amenities like accommodation and hospitals also attributed to the reduction in the number of visitors.
The unpleasant condition of the site propelled Oba Issac Adeyeba Ayeni, Akinla of Erin-Ijesa, asking government to release the site for him for proper management:
“We will not relent until something is done. We are also appealing to individual investors, both local and foreign to see what they can do because we cannot depend on the government. I don’t think the government is too serious to develop tourist centres. They are used to sharing oil money at the centre rather than looking for where they can generate money.
“When I ascended the throne, I went to the then governor Rauf Aregbesola in 2016. I asked him to release the waterfalls to me. I will manage it, bring investors, and pay tax to the government. He was not disposed to that.
“I have also done the same thing to meet the present governor. Till now, they are the ones managing the waterfalls. What they are doing is just collecting gate fees. They are collecting entrance fees without development.
“My view is that government has no business in running this tourist centre. What they need to do is to provide an enabling environment that will attract private investors. They should provide good access road, security and electricity that will attract investors.
“As we speak, the state of the road is very bad. So, if there is no access, how do you attract investors? The government promised to do the 1.5km road at the centre to the waterfall. More than four years ago, the road is still waiting for completion.
“Security is bad. If you go to our police station, you will meet just two policemen. Many times, you will not find them at the station. They might have been called for special duties. Tourists will not feel safe in that kind of a town.
“We don’t have a hospital. If you get injured until they carry you to Ilesa or Osogbo, you won’t get treatment. These are things that government needs to face that will attract foreign investors.
“We have been bringing private investors to do something. If you notice a side of the road to the site being cleared, it has nothing to do with the government. They are just trying to build a resort. If we can be able to do that, why won’t I be able to manage the waterfalls?
“From the little data gathered so far, that place attracts over 50,000 tourists annually. The gate fee is N1,000 per adult and N500 for children. We have more people during festive periods. Just on gate fees.
“Then, you can imagine, if there are cablecast, if there are lifts, if there are swimming pools and other activities, you still have to pay apart from the gate fee. If people pay for all the activities, you will see a huge amount of money that will help the government and the community.
“People will be able to sell pure water, sell food and a lot of things. There is a huge benefit. Everywhere you have a tourist centre, not only in Nigeria, around the world, it benefits the community. That is what I want for my community.
“What I am saying is that we shouldn’t concentrate everything on the gate fees. We are not optimizing the benefits we are supposed to derive from that place.
“If it is the era of the monarchical system, I will tell them (government) bullshit. They can’t dictate to me. But today, kings are installed by government. We are under them. I can only continue to appeal to them.
“The indigenes are trying. Since I came on board, the face of the town is changing gradually. I am trying to appeal to them to come home, join efforts with me to develop this town. I’ve been appealing to some of them who have money to also come and develop the waterfalls.
“That is why I said we should not leave everything in the hand of the government. Government cannot do everything. If an indigene of this town builds a hotel, will any government stop him from building it?
“Most tourists that come to this town have nowhere to stay. They have to go to Ilesa or Osogbo or Ile-Ife to sleep. That is not good enough. I’ve been appealing to them. Whoever can build a 20-bedroom, whoever can build 10-bedroom should come and build it so that the town will continue to grow.
“For common voters’ registration, my people have to go to Ijebu-Jesa for the exercise, why should it be? Do you expect old women to travel that distance for what they should provide for all?
“Voters’ registration exercise is not easy. There is no centre to register here. We have to go to Ijebu Jesa to register, which is not good enough. Who will provide for the logistics to register? The government is trying to disenfranchise my people. They must bring it down to people. Why must we travel that far to vote, what is INEC doing?
“There is no COVID-19 vaccine available in our community, Erin-Ijesa. If you want to get such, you have to go to Ijebu-Jesa, Ipetu or Ilesa. That is not good enough they should make the vaccines available in towns. We have a Primary Health Centre in this town. It is the highest we have here.
“Adegboyega Oyetola is a listening governor, very professional. He is a technocrat. He is not arrogant. I believe that he has too many things in his hands.”
An indigene of the town, Adesokan Funmilayo, said: “I am appealing to the state government to fix the roads leading to the Olumirin Waterfalls. I believe this will help increase the IGR of the state because people will be happy to visit the site.”
Ogunsola Omotolani, commented: “The roads are even better now. If you come during the rainy season, it is worse. Farmers find it difficult to go to their farm during rainy season. If the government cannot do it, they should allow those that have shown interest in fixing the road to do it.”
Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Wale Adebisi, said: “Anybody who is ready to develop it should come out and let us interrogate him. They have introduced about two people to us. It is one thing to introduce somebody it is another thing to have the capacity to do so. What we are looking for is something that will bring the best to the community and the state.
“Whoever says we are not developing the site is only being unfair to us. People believe government should just only bring money to do business. We are interested in developing tourism, but we have our focus, we have our own philosophy. There is no business that government is going into that survives or that can thrive.
“Those businesses being run by government are always a failure. In terms of profitability and efficiency, it is zero. If you want efficiency, you need private partnership, and that is what we are doing. Not only for Olumirin Waterfalls but for all our sites.
“The problem tourism has is not our state alone, it is all over. The COVID-19 pandemic and insecurity have affected tourism. Some people have shown interest to develop the place, but for COVID-19 and insecurity.
“Governor Oyetola, mentioned tourism as one of the three sectors to boost the economy of the state. Our focus is to put it under PPP arrangement. We are working to get people committed to it. I don’t want to make a mouth until our efforts started materialising. Very soon, people will be seeing what will happen.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), said the absence of voters’ registration centre in the town is not to deny the community opportunity of exercising their franchise. Spokesperson of the commission, Mrs Olusayo Adedokun, said:
“For now, registration centres are the local government headquarters and the state office, Osogbo. Erin-Ijesa is not a seat of local government. When the time comes for moving the INEC Voter Enrolment Device (IVED) to the wards, definitely, Erin-Ijesa will have.”