Bower’s Tower, a historical monument in Ibadan, shut down after many years of neglect by successive governments in Oyo State, is finally billed for a face-lift
By Gbenro Adesina /Ibadan
Igbo Agala in Oke-Are area of Ibadan, in Ibadan North Local Government, is rich in history. Before the first television station in Africa, Western Nigerian Television, WNTV, which metamorphosed into Nigeria Television Authority, NTA, Ibadan, was sited there in 1957, it had been designated as a forest reserve by the first Premier of the defunct Western Region, the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo. It was also home to Bower’s Tower, erected by Ibadan Municipal Government in 1936 in honour of Captain Ross Bower, the British Crown’s representative in Nigeria, who doubled as Interior and Travel Commissioner for Yorubaland between 1893 and 1897. Bower, who is reputed to have brought peace to the Western region, lived in a moderate three-bedroom apartment on the hilltop of Igbo Agala for the four years he resided in Nigeria.
History has it that during Bower’s stay on the hilltop, war was routine among Yoruba communities, with the big towns aiming to annex weaker ones. Among the notable ones were the Kiriji, Ife-Modakeke, Ekiti Parapo and Abeokuta-Igagan wars. Displeased with the situation, Bower convened a series of meetings among Yoruba elders, chiefs, kings and people to find a lasting solution to the incessant crises among them, eventually convincing them to pursue a common cause.
The top floor of the tower became a unique spot from which the vastness of Ibadanland in that era could be viewed. Over time, however, the tower was overgrown by the forest. This remained until 1993/1994 when there was a protracted crisis in the country as a result of the annulment of June 12 Presidential election won by the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola. The kerosene scarcity that accompanied the crisis forced Ibadan residents to storm the forest and cut down teak and other precious trees to make firewood for cooking, denuding the area. After the June 12 crisis, an indigene of Ibadan, Rear Admiral Arinola, who was appointed Minister, visited the tower on one of his visits to his home town. He promptly convinced the Federal Government to develop it into a tourist centre. Beautification of the area was undertaken and completed by the Federal Government in 1999 and handed over to the Oyo State government. The state government sought partnership with the private sector, resulting in award of contract to run the centre to Destop International Limited, with an agreement that the company would pay N250,000 yearly to the government. The fee can be reviewed upward, depending on how lucrative the centre turns out to be for its managers.The contract, however, stipulates that the state government has to make the centre attractive by, among others, constructing a motorable road to the centre, providing street lights, beefing up security and landscaping the area. The government has been accused of shirking its responsibility in this regard, leading to the degeneration of facilities at the centre. Not only has the road leading there not been tarred, the toilet poses health hazards. This was why the management of the tourist centre adamantly prevented a photo journalist from having its picture taken. “You can take the picture of the tower but you cannot take the picture of the toilet,” they warned. The tennis courts are crumbling, the nets in shreds and the racquets have many of their strings missing.
The major unattractiveness of the centre, however, stems from the fact that Beere, the only area in the city that leads to the tower, is a filth-ridden neigbourhood. The use of the hill–Ori-Oke–as a prayer ground has resulted in the creation of about 50 different prayer grounds belonging to different churches. This, notwithstanding, investigation revealed that it is still a domain for hoodlums who terrorise residents and visitors to the centre. Commenting on the state of the tower, Oyo State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Alhaja Risikatu Alabi, blamed past administrations and managing partner of the centre, Mr. Toye Orisabunmi, for the dilapidation of the centre.
Explaining that the government has taken over the centre from the private managers due to a breach of agreement, she said that N10 million would be spent on a face-lift of the centre this month. “The state of tourism in the state had been a sorry case before we came to power in 2007. We found out that all the tourism centres in the state, including Bower’s Tower are not functioning because they are all in a bad state. But by the grace of God, we will resuscitate all of them, especially Bower’s Tower. It is unfortunate that past administrations and business people did not invest in tourism because they never knew that it was a source of revenue generation. When I assumed office, I found out that Bower’s Tower was given to one man to manage in 1999 on behalf of the government. Surprisingly, the man has not paid a dime into the coffers of the government. He was supposed to pay N250,000 yearly to the government. I had begged him severally to pay the money. I even went there severally but he never felt budged. I encouraged him to pay part of the money he owes government, to have something to resuscitate the place, but he turned a deaf ear to me. Realising that he is not a serious business person, we had to terminate the contract in line with the agreement that either of the party could terminate the contract. As I am talking to you, he has been ejected. Now that we have taken over the place, we will renovate it and make it the tourist centre it is,” she assured.
But the sacked Mr. Orisabunmi condemned the state government for ejecting him. According to him: “If the state government had lived up to expectation, the centre would not have been as horrible as it is now. I deliberately did not pay the money I was supposed to pay because the government did not also live up to its responsibilities. In fact, I had to drag government to court in a bid to make it provide the things it promised to provide to make the centre functioning and attractive. At the end we both ended up in court. But when Senator Rashidi Ladoja came to power in 2003, he asked me to withdraw the case from court. I did and we settled out of court,” he said.
Attributing the low traffic of tourists to the deplorable condition of the centre, he pointed out that the place recorded ten tourists per week, adding that even the restaurant was not being patronised. “Maybe, three or four people would come and buy drinks in a week…” he said, confirming also that the area is still a hideout for criminals.
Some tourists who spoke to this magazine expressed happiness at the state government’s plan to revive the centre, which is currently shut, but said the N10million earmarked for the project was grossly inadequate for a befitting face-lift which could propel it into matching the likes of Olumo Rock in Abeokuta, which attracts tourists daily, provides employment and generates huge revenue for Ogun State government.
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