Oba
AbdulRasheed Adewale Akanbi, the Oluwo of Iwoland, is one of the prominent
traditional rulers in Yorubaland in South-West Nigeria with many
controversies in recent times. Despite the controversies, he has not for
once performed below the expectations of his subjects on the need to move the
Kingdom forward in terms of socioeconomic and political developments. From the
Telu Food and Clothing Bank Initiative to the rehabilitation of roads abandoned
by the State and Federal Governments, Oba Akanbi has been able to put smiles on
the faces of the indigenes and the residents through collective community efforts.
“This
empowerment scheme is just a tip of the iceberg in my resolve to reduce poverty
with my little resources. When I came to the throne four years ago, I made it
known that I would always work to complement the efforts of each government
because I am exposed enough to know that the workload on government is too
enormous, the Oluwo said during the launching of one of his initiatives.
In
his efforts of beautifying the headquarters of the Kingdom, he recently unveiled
an Arc in the centre of Iwo, replacing the previous Military Statues constructed
by one of the past Military Governments in Osun State. The Arc named Telu Arc
of Triumph has redesigned the aesthetic view of the centre of the ancient city.
Our analyst discovered that subjects
and residents believe that the Arc has changed the histories of the ancient
city and placed it within the comity of cities with more attraction sites in
Yorubaland.
The
new Arc has also emphasised the need to pay attention to the tourism sector of
the Kingdom because of the huge opportunities within the social and cultural
segments of the sector. For instance, the people in the headquarters are known
for practicing the three dominant religions -Islam, Christianity and
Traditional, which could be harnessed by local and international investors.
Within
the headquarters, tourists during their visits would have opportunity of seeing
the first house in the city, the four mountaintop areas that divide the city
into four main areas. The division is easily noticed when someone reaches the Telu
Arc. Beyond this, the towns and villages also have varied attraction sites and
animals such as Bowen University, Sharia College of Iwo, Mogaji Family’s factory,
Parrot at the Oluwo Palace among others.
Our
analyst notes that for the Arc to gain the needed public recognition, Osun State
government needs to enlist it among the modern attraction sites in the State.
This will help the government in realising its objectives of converting the
natural heritage for business growth and wealth creation, and generate the expected
revenue from the tourism sector.
Comments
Post a Comment