NIGERIA: Bowers Tower The Pride Of Ibadan Tourism In Ruins

Relics and monuments of historical facts that surfaced during the creation of Ibadan are nowhere near the purpose it should be used for; rather, they are in ruins: the prestigious Bower’s Tower in Oke Are, Agodi, Trans Amusement Park, First Television in Africa, Museums, Cocoa House, Mapo Hall and many others that once made Ibadan a tourist’s delight are no longer what they used to be. If anything, they are now a haven for criminal hideouts.

A recent visit to Bower’s Tower in Oke Are further reveals and confirms the lack of vision and ability of our current leaders to sustain the great legacies of our heroes past. The historical background of the sites makes ones to understand the vision of the initiators which is creating a semblance of Towers in other countries where one can have a panoramic view of the cities.

Bower’s Tower is located on the summit of Oke-Are, the highest hill in Ibadan, from which one enjoys a commanding view of the city. Oke-Are (“The Army Chief’s Hill”) is the site central to Igbo-Agala (Agala Forest) in Sapati Area.

The monument was erected in 1836 as a memorial to Captain Robert Lister Bower, the first British resident in Ibadan and the Travelling Commissioner for the interior of Yoruba land (as the stiffly officious British termed his office), Southwestern Nigeria between 1893 and 1897.

According to S. Ademola Ajayi, Bower’s Tower is 60 feet high and 11 feet square with two entrances and a spiral staircase designed by Taffy Jones, the provincial engineer who also designed Mapo Hall. Natives of Ibadan nicknamed the tower ‘Layipo’, after the ladder-like spiral stairway to the top of the tower.

From the top of the Tower, the ancient city lays before you, spread out in her splendor; but today, getting to the peak of the Tower will not make one see more that 1/3 of the great city of warriors.

Anyone with a good vision can see the Lagos-Ibadan toll gate as well as Ife- Ilesha toll gate from the top of the Tower. One can also see the whole of UCH, University of Ibadan, the Polytechnic of Ibadan, the Adamasinga stadium and the colourful conference of rustic brown metal roofs which covers a larger percentage of the buildings in the city.

The road leading to the Tower is now rough; it would now take a man with a lion heart to pass through the road without getting discouraged. Except for the religious activists in the hitherto den of criminals (Igbo Agala), the whole place would have by now been a deep forest. Worse still, the premises of the tower presently are bushy enough to harbor reptiles and dangerous animals.

The weak pillar that holds the rustic metal gates at the entrance is always opened, the buildings inside the premises were all calling for help as the roofs and woods that covers them no longer hold each other. All the furniture’s in the kitchen and the main offices have been looted while the left over are not worthy of being referred to as office equipment.

The children’s play park is another eyesore as traces of Indian hemp were visibly present there. The parker located at a corner still has some of the metal equipments that are now obsolete. The facilities available have become relics on their own as it is obvious they no longer fit into the present day children’s play park.

A careful observation at the Tower which paints are already pealing and fading also reveals that the spiral stair case is having some structural problems though the pillar and the walls built around it still stand firm, but there is urgent need for structural adjustment of the staircase as soon as possible.

The amphitheatre at the site which was said to be part of the last development done at the site by the military administration in 1996 can no longer stand the test of time as apart from not being spacious enough for a serious event is also not well cited.

Bowers Tower, according to some of the residents around that place was a source of economic fortune to the people of the area in its functioning days, the traffic into the heritage site blossomed and the economic activities of its environment was a strong economic foundation for the growing generation.

About 20 people worked in various departments at the site which was under the control of Oyo State Tourism Board, but now only one man simply identified as Engr. Oni who is one of the foundation staff of the sites is left.

The place which was being managed by a businessman was closed by the immediate past commissioner for culture and tourism, Princess Adetutu Adeyemi Aigbe with the intention of reviving the sites but, up till this moment, nothing has been done.

The closure or forceful hijack of the tower is shrouded in political undertone: the person in charge before was a supporter of the former governor of Oyo State Sen. Rashid Adewolu Ladoja. It was gathered that since he is not in the same party with the present government, he was sent packing in 2013 and since then this place has become desolate. The same way they treated Mr. Kehinde Olaosebikan who was operating Lyrics Club at Amusement Park, said Akin, a stakeholder who was a regular at the Tower.

For the site to meet up with the demands of the sector, certain things need to be put in place, most importantly is the environment which should be clean and the grass manicured to attract people; the bushy environment needs to be cleared and the structures inside need urgent attention. The tower itself needs total refurbishment and the children’s play park need serious overhauling.

When contacted, the Permanent Secretary of Oyo State Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Dr. Bunmi Babalola told our correspondent that the ministry ejected the occupants of the premises not for political reason as insinuated by people but to revive the place and make it function like a normal tourist site.

“We acknowledge the role of the then occupant who was selling beer and running the place within his capacity but it was closed because the government decided to revive it. “We called for bidders from the private sectors and people applied, but today I can tell you we have a company that is willing to spend N1OO Million Naira on the sites, we are in the process of perfecting our arrangements and very soon work will commence on the site, the site will wear a complete new look,” he said.

Dr. Babalola explained further: “Having considered the implication of tourism development as a great source of revenue and wealth creation for the people, the Ministry is also working on some projects that will boost the sector in the state.

“Our target is to develop two tourism sites in a major town and city in the state and this will be done in conjunction with Private Partners. As I speak, we have received an offer from a company willing to spend N100 million on two sites; we are in the process of perfecting our arrangements and very soon work will commence on the sites and they will wear new looks.

“As I speak, we have received interest on the suspended lake of Ado Awaye and Bower’s Tower.”