By Ayodele Abere
Tourism has been described as crucial and vital for economic growth, cultural exchange and environmental conservation, offering numerous benefits such as job creation, infrastructure development, and preservation of cultural heritage.
The media, as the watchdog of the society and agenda setter, took a jaunt to one of the ancient towns of Ekiti State, known as Ipole-Iloro, where ARINTA WATERFALLS in Ekiti West Local Government Area of the State is located on Thursday, 13th March, 2025 to enable government and other well meaning individuals in the society see how the Internally Generated Revenues of the State can be improved if the God’s endowed tourist centres in the State are well maintained.
On the significance of ARINTA WATERFALLS, His Royal Majesty, Oba Ezekiel Babatola Oladele (JP), Ekiti Kale Sibe iii, the Olupole of Ipole-Iloro Ekiti, explained that apart from being a natural tourist centre, that the water equally serves other purposes such as curing skin diseases.
In his word, “If anyone with skin disease comes here to bath, by the time you see him or her after six months, the person would have become a different person”.
The monarch added that there’s no any taboo or traditional attachment to the waterfalls.
In his brief historical background of the community, the Olupole of Ipole-Iloro Ekiti, Oba Ezekiel Babatola Oladele, said their forefather, Alapa Ajalorun, the grandson of Oduduwa, migrated from Ile-Ife, Osun State through Igbo-Ijesha, to Obake, down to Ipole-Iloro where he settled before the discovery of the Waterfalls.
On his part, the Executive Chairman of Ekameta Local Council Development Area, Hon. Leye Adeniji, who appreciated the step taken by the newsmen to visit the tourist site, pointed out that Ekameta comprises of Erijinyan, Ikogosi and Ipole-Iloro Ekiti.
Commending the Journalists, the Chairman said it’s a wonderful thing coming to the Council area which he described as tourism hub of Ekiti State, noting that Ikogosi warm spring at Ikogosi, Arinta Waterfalls at Ipole-Iloro and Erin Water at Erijinyan Ekiti are all in Ekameta LCDA. Adding that the other site yet to be harnessed in the Council area was the spot of the first plane crash in Africa which occurred at Oke-Ilapa, a forest between Ikogosi and Igbara-Odo in 1942.
According to Dr. Adeniji, “coming to Ekameta to showcase the tourism potentials and all that Governor Biodun Oyebanji led – administration has been doing is a welcome idea “.
On ARINTA WATERFALLS, the Chairman said efforts are on at transforming the site to international standard with a tight and perfect security architecture already in place, and construction of the road leading to the site which according to him wasn’t motorable before now. He remarked that the coming of Oyebanji has opened the road with several investors visiting the town to ensure that the topography and landscaping of the place is in good shape.
“From Ekameta LCDA and the State government, so many things have been done in elevating the place to showcase the site to the entire world “. Dr. Leye Adeniji explained.
In his remarks, the Chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists in Ekiti, Comrade Kayode Babatuyi, who led other journalists to the site, called on government and all other concerned authorities to make the Centre more functional such that could attract international tourists.
“We have visited the site to see for ourselves what is happening there, and getting to the site, we discovered that Ekiti is blessed, only that the necessary steps have not been taken to ensure that the site is developed.
“This site is enough to assist government in generating resources that can be used for developmental activities”. Babatuyi opined.
Also, the Secretary, Picnic Committee of Nigeria Union of Journalists, Ekiti State, Comrade Ayodele Abere, explained that the visit became necessary because journalists work both day and night.
To him, the only way to get themselves relieved of boredom after passing through some stress is by getting themselves relaxed with the attraction of the tourist centres.
