Imeko-Afon tourism potentials beckontourism potentials beckon

Written by Taiwo Olanrewaju Wednesday, 26 May 2010

NATURE, nay, the Lord, has blessed Imeko-Afon Local Council Area of Ogun State with quite a number of tourism sites, which if well developed, will attract tourists to the area in droves.

A team, between Friday, 7 and Saturday, 8 May, 2010, in addition to touring the towns and villages which make up Imeko-Afon, to behold the feat, which the town’s number one citizen, Chief Albert Durojaye Ashipa and his team had performed since they assumed office on May 29, 2007 till date in terms of provision of infrastructure; also visited five tourism sites while making an expedition to the palace of Alaketu of Ketu, Oduduwa’s first son in Republic of Benin.

The tourism centres visited include the Mount of Salvation at Atapele, the Celestial City in Imeko, Osuru River in Imeko, Elenre River in Idofa and Captain Cremyton’s Remembrance Arcade at Congo Area of Imeko, and the Iwoye border of Imeko-Afon and Republic of Benin.

Mount of Salvation
It is otherwise known as the city of God (Ilu Oluwa) where the Garden of Eden, the Ark of Noah, the face of God (Oju Oluwa), a camel (Balaam’s?), the crown of glory, a suspended rock, a well with water which cures all forms of illnesses, amongst others, are sites to behold in the rocky city.

According to Ronke Peters, Director, Tourism Development Corporation, Ogun State, the Mount of Salvation was discovered by late Frederick Adeoye (a.k.a Oba inu Apata — the king in the rock).
History has it that the late Adeoye, resident in Lagos, was instructed by God to locate the face of God in Imeko, but unfortunately, could not on two occasions. But on the third occasion, he went to Imeko with a camera man, who filmed the relics at the site. It was through the recording, that the elderly man was able to discover the three faces of God, etched on three different rocks and on three different spots in the city tagged the Ancient of Days.

Aside the fact that there is no prayer said with faith in the site that is not answered, ditto the water, from the shallow well, which is used to cure all manner of ailments; special services are held in the city from the 24th to 31st December every year.

The Celestial City
It is a well known fact that we have more Celestial Church of Christ members in Imeko-Afon and the Republic of Benin. Probably because the founder of the Celestial Church, late Pastor Bilewu Oshoffa was from Imeko.

The beautiful and well decorated tomb of Pastor Oshoffa, the relics of the car in which he had the accident which eventually claimed his life, the exact spots where the sun, the moon and the rainbow descended during late Oshoffa’s burial, his mother’s tomb, amongst other relics, are sites to behold in the Celestial city.

The Osuru River
This was the only source of water for the people of Imeko in those days. As we all know, water is life. It was a herculean task for the women-folk of Imeko to get water to bath, drink or wash.
When the Ogun State Director of Tourism, Ronke Peters, told the team that we were going on an endurance trek, for which some of us had to remove our high heeled shoes, we did not fully appreciate her statement until we got to the edge of the steepy and narrow path that led to the river.

One could not but wonder how many pots got broken on the long, winding path on daily basis as children and women went to fetch water.

By the time one stooped down, held on to the partially rocky terrain and navigated his way for between 20 to 30 minutes, one got to the brook safely, after having missed one stepping, a couple of times and breathing heavily.

Armed with about six tea cups, we all drank out of the cool and pure water, gushing out of a rock, source of which is unknown.

As much as the states Tourism Development Corporation intends to develop the site into a relaxation centre, especially for the use of students and writers, it is not contemplating bottling the water for commercial purpose.

“Why?” we asked. The answer, we were told, was at our next port of call.

The Elenre River, Idofa
This river is highly medicinal. It is used to cure guinea worm. Some of the local council honourable members who are from Idofa also attested to its potency.

Anybody suffering from guinea worm epidemic should only endeavour to get to Idofa, take some water and sand from the Elenre River, get to the palace for the king’s blessings and use the water to wash the affected area.

We were told that Elenre River was a big stream, which source is known to the kabiyesi and the men of the town alone. But because of dis-obedience, the water has become very shallow, almost drying up.
The local soap (soda) was not  supposed to be used in the river, black earthernware pots were not supposed to be washed in the river while the fishes in the river were not supposed to be killed.

Flouting of those rules, in addition to the efforts of the Ogun State led administration of late Chief Bisi Onabanjo to provide potable water for the people  of Idofa, led to the river changing its course and source.

Attempts were made to dam the river. Some of the relics of  the equipment intended to be used to dam the river could still be found by the river side.

The consequence of the government’s efforts is the reason why the Tourism Corporation is not making an attempt to dam or bottle the pure water gushing out of the rock.
 

Congo Area:
Is where the body of the late Captain Fdevere Cremyton was interred in an upright position.

The captain, who died of malaria fever at the age of 34, was buried upright on February 13, 1899 because he was a very wicked and strict captain, we were told.

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