Parting The Waters: Wonder In The Wilderness Of Owu Waterfall

By Gbadegesin Muftau Adewale

At 330 feet down, Owu waterfall descends with spectacular outcrops to a pool of ice chill water; beneath which present an alluring vista and offers visitors an ambience serenity to behold. About 49 years ago, the legendary falls of Owu was said to be discovered by a missionary named Reverend Plafare Dui who was of SIM now ECWA seminary. Earlier account pointed to the peculiarity of the waterfall being the highest in the whole of West Africa and an encounter with nature at its peak.

Except for its constant water supply to the people and its environs, Owu waterfall has suffered years of neglect making it a fall with no more than the sputter of water tumbling down from the mountaintop — and has thus failed to boost the socio-economic activities of and attract wider tourists to the tiny town of Owa Onire in Isin local government area of kwara state. From Ilorin, the kwara state capital is a 2hours drive to the water fall with the road leading to the site almost in tattered. Several attempts by the community leaders to get the intervention of government seem to fall on deaf ears with successive governments paying little or no attention to their plight.

Owu waterfall: The tale of two mythological accounts.

“The origin of Owu waterfall is shrouded in two mythological accounts” Oba Abdulrahman Abdulahi Ifabiyi, the Onire of Owa onire who also doubled as the custodian of the monumental site enthused after a courtesy visit to his palace “but only one of the tale is closer to being true” the monarch said before walking the students through the synopsis of the town’s history. “The generation past resided on the mountain top for years” the king continued “before coming down to relocate where we are now”. One account posited that an attempt to dissuade children from peeking into the fall led to issuance of stern warning such as “Olewu lati yo ju woo do lati oke” meaning peeking the fall from the top is dangerous. From “Olewu” comes Owu then the invention of the punchy name for the heritage: Owu waterfall.

Although with a handful of skills in physiognomy, the monarch appeared to trust this account less with the second narration being his favored tale. The second account went this way: In the ancient time when people’s abode was still on the mountain, there was a discovery of an “isaa” a Yoruba name for a hole especially the one that houses either an animal or a spring. After the discovery of that hole which culminated with migrants oracular injunction that they are to settled on a rocky place comes the steady rise of the water from that hole. From this account comes “Isaawu or Eesawu” translating to the spring rise which then began to cascades from the top to beneath. In other words, the discovery of this waterfall if closely observed falls within the ambit of Yoruba myth and mythology especially as it relates to the unknown, though this story present a subtle but unpalatable submission how African history are still largely in oral form and are yet to be documented in permanent format completely.

After a hectic final year exertion that gulped both energy and strength. Owu water fall and the National Museum, Esie all in Kwara state seemed poised for and of course topped the list of places to visit for relaxation from the University of Ilorin’s hustle bustle, car engine honking, parks struggle and lecture room hurdles. As the sun was rising from the east coast on the welcoming Wednesday of 31st day of July,2019, So was the preparation for the adventure to the wonderland by pleasure seeking final year students of the department of library and information science, University of Ilorin to the monumental sites took top gear. The fun loving students who were thirteen in number all converged at the University car park to begin the ultimate expedition and set foot and eyes on the water fall of extraordinary feet and unusual grit.

How to make naira and dollar fall in Owu waterfall.

Owu water fall does not just lend its ambience to providing a mouthwatering experience for its visitors rather it could also be packaged to meet international tourist destination and be hyped to generate cool cash both for the government and the host community. This idea even becomes plausible with the stratospheric evolution of cultural entrepreneurship, a new leaf from the tall tree of entrepreneurship which attempt at infusing entrepreneurship blood into cultural practices and artifact of various cultures. This idea if probed further has become the new money making venture and is deeply rooted in the cultural dynamics of the Asian tigers who have integrated western ideals and ideas into their ways of life thereby creating the catchphrase “Glocalize in affluence or globalize in poverty”.

However, Nigeria’s richness both in her cultural practices and artifact can never be underestimated while her population of 198 million people constitutes an added advantage to her heterogeneity. Monumental sites are some of these cultural heritage and the likes of Owu waterfalls, erin ijesa waterfall, ikogosi warm and cold spring make the list of these natural endowment.  In cultural entrepreneurship for instance, every culturally practices and artifacts are considered unique in their ways and the readiness of all stakeholders to entrepreneurially develop and make money through them have been found to be a veritable means to generate money. But unfortunately the dearth of visionary and authentic leaderships in all strata of Nigeria society has become the clog in the wheel of these monumental sites that some have been nearly abandoned while others have been left to grasp for breath themselves.

A personal Note

A book may give you excellent suggestions on how best to conduct yourself in the water, but sooner or later you must get wet, perhaps even strangle and be “half scared to death”. There are a great many “wetless” bathing suits won at the seashore, but no one ever learns to swim in them. To plunge is the only way. And I plunged into the cold water for the first time in decade swimming up and down in ecstasy. That experience took me down the memory lane that I was awestruck and dumbfounded. How on earth I’m I supposed o miss this beautiful exercise for so long? I queried myself. Together with other adventurers, we had a day filled with fun and could only muster the courageous Latin “Veni Vidi Vici”  meaning we came, we saw and conquered.