We have a dream

FUNKE ADETUTU

Some weeks ago, Ogho Okiti, the chairman of our editorial board here at BusinessDay accused me of making too many trips for which I never invited him. His comment was informed by a piece I did titled: The Telephone Conversation. I hope he won’t be crossed with me if he reads this and discovers that I made another trip to Ada in Osun State last weekend!
It wasn’t a self-sponsored or planned trip. It was one made possible by the Future Awards. Honestly, it was a fun-filled trip, one that made me feel good and rekindled hope that it was still possible for Nigeria to be back on the wheel of progress again. It was the meeting of brilliant young minds in the country and I was touched by the outpouring of ideas from everyone through the different arguments that marked our trips from one part of Osun State to another.
It was great hanging out with crazy but humorous characters like Lepacious Bose, Ego of Koko Below fame, Derenle and Kunle, Rooftop Mc. These were comic characters who never struggled with their inner selves to make us laugh. It was as if they were naturally born with jokes, so you can imagine what our moods were as the rib-cracking jokes effortlessly flowed from the inner recess of their beings. Lepacious Bose and Rooftop MC spontaneously joked about virtually everything, even the most serious subject.
Most of the subjects range from childhood, adulthood to other social issues. Quite instructive were the jokes on childhood which forced each and every one of us to think about the innocence characteristic of that period. It was a formative stage when many seeds were sown on the fertile mind of a child. And the argument was made possible by the fact that every one of us on that bus passed through that stage. Hence, when Etim Emmanuel who earned the title of ‘Mr. Advocate,’ as a winner in that category of the Future Awards observed that a child should have access to sex at a stage when he reaches orgasm, every one on the bus yelled a resounding “no.”
“As a young boy,” he recalled, “I asked my mother when did I have an erection? She was shocked to hear me ask such a question at such a tender age of 10. But she wouldn’t answer me because she felt it was not the right kind of question to ask.”
“Yes, I understand why your mother refused to answer. If I become a mother, I wouldn’t encourage my young girl to have sex at 12 or 13. It’s wrong,” Lala, an actress with Theatre@Terra, countered sharply.
The argument was long drawn and poor Mr. Advocate was on his own as almost everyone was against his position. No body saw the issue from his perspective. For me, it brought to bare the pretentious nature of our society which classified certain norms as good or bad. Ours is a society that considers sex education a taboo, hence, young boys and girls are made to learn this on their own. I’m very sure that most of us on that bus learnt what we know about sex either from friends, the programmes we watched on television, or the magazines and books we read.
The interesting thing about the whole argument was that it was at this age of innocence also that we all had dreams to become this or that in future. This seed, sown in our hearts has been realised by most of us while we still aspire to do better than what we are currently. Even as young adults, we have many dreams yet unrealised.
As we made our return journey to Lagos, we all exchanged contacts. While doing so, Bose of the Bank PHB Intern fame requested Mr. Advocate to add his telephone number to the contact list on her phone. Our dear Lepacious Bose would not let this pass her by.
“You didn’t ask for my e-mail address,” she queried, adding, “because I’m not Miss Advocate, abi?”
“I need it for my political career,” answered Bose.
“You want to be a political?” Joked Rooftop MC.
“Yes, I want to be the first female president,” replied Bose while giving Rooftop a serious ‘I can do it’ look.
“I want to be the husband of a president,” said AY with a toothy smile, as he raised his two hands to the air almost hitting the bus’ roof.
“You will be the first man, you mean?” Asked Rooftop Mc.
Hitherto, Bose and AY had been the two love birds in the group. They were always together, except when Bose was not at the breakfast table. Thus, it wasn’t a surprise when AY openly announced himself as the first man to be, a rare feat in a patriarchal society like ours, you’d agree. Well, I must say that this kind of thinking is only possible with this kind of young man, who, like everyone of us, is the voice of the future, the ideology which drives all of us, including the organisers of the award. It’s about young people with revolutionary minds who believe in the Obama slogan: “Yes, I can!”
It’s about men and women who believe in the power of their dreams. It’s instructive that all of us have dreams, projects we hope would materialise someday.
Meanwhile, let me hurriedly whisper this into your ears, Lepacious Bose is working towards staging a new kind of comedy show, Emilia Asim-Ita, marketing coordinator, Future Awards aspires to become a newscaster, Mr. Advocate is working towards Nigeria signing the African Youth Charter, like other African countries that have done so, Rachael Ogbu of NewsWatch magazine is planning to go for a higher degree abroad, the list is endless. It’s about engaging in positive activities that will bring changes to our fatherland.

A romance with nature at Erin-Ijesa

FUNKE ADETUTU, who was at the Erin-Ijesa Waterfall in Ilesa, Osun State, writes that the spring is a soothing balm and beautiful sight to behold.

It is 1pm. The yellowish rays of the sun fall brilliantly on the rustling leaves of nearby trees, while its light plays a trick on the trees’ greenery. The rustling sound of the leaves and the chirping sound of birds nested on the tree branches create a harmonious sound that only nature can produce.
It is this kind of atmosphere the MicCom Golf Resort in Ada has to offer this Saturday afternoon.
“We shall travel to see a lake and later the Erin-Ijesa Waterfall,” Emilia Asim-Ita, the marketing/public relations co-ordinator for the Future Awards, announces to the group. It is a smooth ride from Ada to Erin-Oke, the little village where the waterfall is located.
We drive through little villages and settlements and the Ilesa Township .
Ilesa is a boisterous town alive to the rhythm of the hot sun, where men and women go about their businesses in the full glare of our little convoy as we drive through. After about some 20 minutes drive, the bus veers off the expressway into a bumpy road that leads to the sleepy village of Erin Oke .
The asphalt on the road has worn off and has been overridden by sand and dirt. Later, the bus navigates its way through a path overgrown with shrubs and bushes before it finally pull to a stop before a blue wall. A brownish black gate is erected on it to keep intruders at bay. Written on the battered wall is a barely visible price list: Children N50; Adult: N100; Photo camera; N500.
Adebola Williams gets off the bus to negotiate with the gatekeepers before we are allowed entry.
“Welcome to Erin-Ijesa Waterfall. The Living spring” reads a weather-beaten signpost at the entrance.
Although the inscription is almost fading, yet they are legible. Used packs of food, can drinks litter everywhere. Food, drinks, and shower cap vendors shout out their wares to the hearing of adventurous tourists and picnickers, who throng the waterfall daily. A group of tourist is finding its way out when we arrived.
At the foot of the stairway lies a pile of debris which is an eyesore for a tourist centre like this. We hiked up amid threat of climbing different levels from those who were there the previous year. Defying the threat, we trudge on in anticipation of what lies ahead, stepping on the murky water streaming down the stairway. Intermittently, as we scrambled upward the muddy, rocky slope, we pause for a couple of group photos before moving on.
The lapping sound of the spring could be heard miles away as we climb the muddy dilapidated stairs of the waterfall, as the coolness of the spring permeates everywhere. After walking for about 10 minutes, we came face-to-face with the famous Erin-Ijesa Waterfall. The water cascades down slimy rocks turned green by the constant flow of water. Broken pieces of rocks serve as stepping stones through which we climb up to the water.
The Olumirin Waterfall, as it is also called, is lovely and the sight before us is breathtaking. We all screamed for joy at the sight of the gift that Mother Nature bestowed on us. With almost a blind rush, few of us pull off our clothes to have a first hand feel of the cool water gushing out of the rock.
Many people climb to the third floor with the hope of reaching the water source.
Richard Olasinde, front office supervisor, MicCom Golf Resort, who also doubles as our guide, explains to me that the source of the spring is on the seventh step, which is about two hours journey from the first step where we are.
“There are seven steps. Where we are now is just the first step. The last step is a flattish area covered in trees. There are all kinds of fruits like pineapple, oranges, among others there. The source of the spring is a rock like the shape of a pot from which the water gushes like a pump.”
Olaseinde believes that for most tourists and funs seekers, climbing up to the third level can best be equated to traipsing the snowy steeply mount Everest. Obviously, being at these different levels and just basking in the invigorating freshness of the falls is an unforgettable experience, for most people.
“The place to be is definitely the seventh level,” he says. “Not only does it lie at the peak of the falls, it is also hosts a settlement where many of its inhabitants have lived for several years including a church.”
According to him, from the top of the falls one could see the town of Erin-Ijesa itself.
In the end, we could not help it but agree that Nigeria is a beautiful country and Nigerians are indeed very warm people with a very rich culture.
From the Yankari Games Reserve in the north, to the Obudu Cattle Ranch in south, the nation is indeed a haven for tourists. Nigeria is full of breathtaking landscapes and awe-inspiring sceneries as the Erin-Ijesa Waterfall like any other tourist attraction in the country has a story to tell.
“Amazingly, the fall doesn’t look like anything out of this world until you begin climbing the seven levels of the ascending plains of the waterfalls. The view at all the levels is wonderful and the freshness of the water is energising.
“However, the last and seventh level is definitely the most intriguing, well that’s if you ever dare it,” says a friend, who had been to the waterfall.
Although, we never dared to climb far up yet, but the refreshing water from the fall is very irresistible, hence it is saddening when Adebola Williams announces that it is time to go. Erin-Ijesa, we all agree is indeed a sight to behold.