The present administration under the leadership of Engr Seyi Makinde is poised to revive all moribund tourist sites in Oyo State with a view to making them serve as additional source of internally generated revenue for the government as well as employment opportunities for the teeming unemployment youths in the State.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Culture and Tourism, Hon. Ademola Akeem Ige disclosed this while speaking with journalists shortly after he paid an on the spot assessment to the Ibadan Bower’s Tower popularly known as “Layipo” located at Agala area, Oke Are, Ibadan.
The visit was to ascertain the condition of the popular tourist site which is hitherto in comatose situation as a result of neglect by the previous administration in the State.
Bower’s Tower is the highest hilltop in Ibadan giving a panoramic view and important points in the city like University College Hospital (UCH), University of Ibadan, Adebayo, Cocoa House, Dugbe Market , Agodi Gardens, Iwo Road, Ife Road, Olorunsogo and the defunct Lagos/Ibadan Toll Gate among others.
Hon. Ige expressed displeasure over the eyesore of situation of the infrastructures he met at the site.
According to him, “it is quite shameful that heritage of this magnitude in Ibadan, the State capital is wasting away but we have to do whatever is necessary to revive it to make it functional very soon”.
“His Excellency, Engr Seyi Makinde is determined to make Oyo state a preferred tourism destinations for both local and foreign tourists and that is why we will not leave any stone unturned in developing our tourism sites.”
“Few weeks ago, we placed an advert on newspaper to invite investors to come and partner with the government in developing some or all of these tourist sites and I am happy to inform you that appreciable number of investors have already signified their interest to partner with the government.” He declared.
Hon. Ademola Ige was accompanied to the site by Director of Culture, Mr Gideon Alade, Mrs M.A.Agboola, Director of Tourism and Alhaja Lawal, Deputy Director of Culture all from the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism.
