By Mogaji Wole Arisekola
Ilaji Hotels and Sports Resort is one of the largest leisure and hospitality destinations in Oyo State. It is also one of Nigeria’s premier luxury resorts, located at Oloyo Village, Akanran, in Ona-Ara Local Government Area, about 30 to 40 minutes from central Ibadan, depending on traffic.
It is a modern replica of Ibom Hotel & Golf Resort, located on Nwaniba Road, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, where I was graciously lodged by Chief Godswill Akpabio for 18 months during the 2019 general election in Akwa Ibom State.
I have driven through several roads in Ibadan, and to be honest, I have always been proud to bring my friends from different parts of the country to witness the excellent road network we have been enjoying in our state.
With that same euphoria and sense of pride, I set out from my house in Abuja to visit the much-talked-about Ilaji Hotels and Sports Resort.
A journey that was supposed to take between 30 and 40 minutes from my house in Ibadan ended up taking us well over two hours.
The first question that struck my mind was, “Am I still in Oyo State or have I crossed into Ogun State?”
Ogun State has one of the worst road networks in the history of the old Western Region. I stopped travelling to Ijebu-Ode to enjoy my favourite bush meat and amala simply because of the terrible roads.
As we continued the journey, I asked my brother, whose brand-new Lexus I was enjoying, “Are we still in Oyo State?” He answered, “Yes.”
Immediately, I tried calling Governor Oluseyi Makinde to draw his attention to the deplorable condition of the road.
At the very least, if we are going to market our party to the electorate, we must have good road access for motorists, farmers, investors, tourists, and those bringing cassava tubers and other farm produce into the city for the good people of Oyo State.
Governor Seyi Makinde knows me very well. Whenever I see something that deserves attention, I always speak up.
When I finally arrived at Ilaji Hotels and Sports Resort, I came to one conclusion: nobody needs to travel abroad for vacation again because what we are looking for in Sokoto is already in Apo Sokoto.
Chief Dotun Sanusi has built the best and largest resort in Ibadan. Beyond that, he has created one of the largest private employment opportunities in the history of our state. That achievement deserves encouragement, support, and appreciation.
Our late fathers who did what Chief Dotun Sanusi is doing today include the late Parakoyi of Ibadanland, the late Chief Bode Akindele (3 Stars Matches and 33 Export Beer at Alomoja), the late Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Alhaji Abdul-Azeez Arisekola (Lister Flour, Lister Motors and Lister Biscuits), the late Chief Yekini Adeojo (Yanaty Flour), and Chief N.A. Idowu (Leyland Motors), to mention just a few.
Whenever an Ibadan indigene became governor, he always supported businesses established by fellow Ibadan sons.
During the import licence crisis, Chief Omololu Olunloyo wrote to the government of the late President Aliyu Shehu Shagari, appealing for waivers for the numerous companies operating in Oyo State.
When I started building Oluyole Estate, in Lugbe, Abuja in 2013. Chief Niyi Akinola was the first person to deposit N12m cheque without visiting the site, Late Chief Yekini Adeojo gave me a cheque of N3m as a gift in his room at Transcorp hotel Abuja, and Mr Oyesola deposited N20m.
That was the spirit of brotherhood. That was the Ibadan I grew up to know—a city where love, unity, and mutual support flowed naturally among its people.
Your Excellency, Chief Dotun Sanusi is your friend. He is also an Ibadan indigene, just like you and me.
Watching his business suffer enormous losses because of a deplorable access road is simply not good enough.
As the Yoruba rightly say:
“Ti agbalagba ba s’umi oganjo B’ojumo ba mo, a d’imi ewe”.
(When an elder defecates in an inappropriate place at night, by daybreak it is the younger ones in the compound who bear the blame.)
However, looking away while the access road to your friend’s business remains virtually impassable is quite unfortunate.
Eni kan ki sumi to ro sile.
My brother, I believe the Honourable Commissioner for Works may not have adequately informed you about the terrible condition of the road leading to Ilaji Hotels and Sports Resort.
Please, Your Excellency, as you have always done, kindly mobilise the contractors back to the site so that work on this important road can resume without further delay.
This is not just about today. It is about tomorrow and what people will eventually say about us.
To the best of my knowledge, we have no other state except Oyo State. We must first see ourselves as Ibadan indigenes, then as citizens of Oyo State, and ultimately as proud Nigerians.
May God Almighty continue to bless you as you prepare to complete a successful eight-year tenure in the Government House, Oyo State.
Mogaji Wole Arisekola writes from Ibadan .
