Emmanuel Ukudolo l Monday, May 14, 2018
ABEOKUTA, Nigeria – According to Global Tourism Statistics, international tourist arrivals increased from 528 million in 2005 to 1.19 billion in 2015. Each year, Europe receives the most international tourist arrivals. In Africa travel arrival grows at the rate of 6 percent per year and more than doubled between 1995 and 2014, peaking at 56 million in 2014 with tourist arrivals in Nigeria now put at 1, 255,000 as at 2015.
Most inbound tourists often land in Lagos, with a great proportion switching over to Ogun State which parades great men like the Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Reverend Israel Oludotun Ransome-Kuti who is father of the Late Afrobeat King, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Chief Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, female activist and first woman to drive a car in Nigeria.
The state is not just noted for great men past and present. It is also home to some of the best attractions – the likes of Olumo Rock, Hall of Fame, which is now a trademark at the Cultural Centre in Kuto, where you now have photographs of sons of the soil who have become a source of pride to indigenes of Ogun State. Other attractions are the ancient home of Israel Oludotun Ransome-Kuti, now being renovated by the Ogun State Government in readiness for convertion into a museum like Fela’s residence in Gbemisola Street, Lagos. The Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s Presidential Library, the first in Africa is also worthy of note, massive in dimention with the best of facilities for relaxation in addition to the Adire Market , which is home to authentic Adire fabric in the world.
PARK INN BY RADISSON ABEOKUTA
For those coming into Abeokuta, Ogun State either for business or holiday, the Park Inn By Radisson Abeokuta, a 4 Star hotel might just be the most hospitable place to lodge. It is situated very close to the Ogun State Governor’s office. As you drive in, you come face to face with the warning that your are under surveilance by Closed Circuit Television 24 hours, 7 days a week in addition with certification from Ogun State Government as the safest hotel in the state.
The front desk is tastefully furnished giving you a fore taste of what the hotel has to offer. Staff on the desk are courteous and well trained, ever ready to meet you at the point of need. The rooms are quite spacious but of different dimention, designed to meet your needs, all equipped with state-of-the-arts facility that any international hotel could offer. There are about 167 standard rooms, double, diplomatic and presidential suites ranging from as low as $165 for single to about $445 for diplomatic and presidential suites. Besides the rooms, the hotel also has confernce halls that takes about 220 to 400 people, an expandable restaurant that takes up to 150 guests, a bar, and a cinema hall designed to take over 100 spectators at a time. Park Inn By Radisson Abeokuta also boasts of a standby gym and a standard swimming pool well maintained for the comfort of guests.
There are ATM machines, art works, artefacts, local fashion accessories and traditional outfits made with Adire which can just be purchased off the shelf. Besides, tourists get the best of hospitality that any hotel could offer. Consequently journalists were not disappoitned when Skyview Communication Limited in conjuction with Park Inn By Radisson Abeokuta offered to avail journalists the very grand hospitality it has been offering guests all the while. In the team are journalists from the print, online and broadcast and it was a total package, most journalists never had even on international trips. First was a tour of Abeokuta, which took them through notable attactions on the way to Israel Oludotun Ransome-Kuti house, now under renovation, the Adire Market and straight to Chief Olusegun Presidential Library and to the Cultural Centre in Kuto back to the hotel where they settled down for cocktail dinner and super.
The meals are second to none. It was buffet all through for breakfast, lunch and supper. On the menu were all forms of tradition meals, pepper soup, fruits, fruit juice and speciallly prepared salad with chefs who seems to be more interested your enjoyment of the meals. One of the most memorable moments was the skill acquition session during which guests were made to go through the rudiments of making Adire under the tutelage of Mrs Oladele and her team. It was a beautiful experience for journalists who had in the past visited the Local Adire Production factory in Abeokuta. For many, it was like a dream come true, having to go through the experience of making Adire which became the official attire for the grand dinner by the pool side, the night before their departure. It was a night that guests were treated to culture per excellence, there was traditional dance by dance groups, including a local palmwine club. There were musical games and mimming. It was a funfilled night with so much to eat and drink in an atmosphere of conviviality.
PARK INN BY RADISSON IN CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
In making the place comfortable for guests, the hotel also understands the importance of coporate social responsibility(CRS) and it is doing it in the area of education by investing part of its earnings into education to get students in schools better prepared for challenges of the future. One way it is doing it is through the annual Park Inn By Radisson Abeokuta Schools Debate. This year, the first prize was won by Victor Roti Private Secondary School. Speaking on the programe, General Manager, Park Inn By Radisson Abeokuta, Mr. Kayode Aina said students were required to address subjects such as genenetically modified food, nuclear energy for domestic use, buy made in Nigeria and the desirability of unicamera legislature. According to him, students presented merits of each of the subjects.
In his review of the programme, “Park Inn By Radisson Abeokuta Schools Debate: The Journey so far”, Professor Kolawole Adebayo(See him below talking to reporters) said the idea started with Mr. Kola Obajemu and the general manager who chosed education as focus of their CSR. “I saw children come to demonomstrate to us skills of public speaking which is far disappearing in the public space”, he said, stressing that students marshalled out their points wihout resulting to fisticuff. “There were judges at every occasion. The winning schools had majority of the judges in their favour.
“They looked at their arguments, mannerism and strategy. Each school has 3 participants, the chief debater and supporters. We allowed questions in the midst of arguments. They took questions and spontaenously went foward to respond”, he said adding that the project kicked off with 20 schools with just one school unable to make it.
He said there were 10 topics in the first round, with students tackling subjects such as boarding or day school system, which is better, death penalty, Vesico Virginal Fistula(VVF), Should women be given the chance to govern and presidential or parliamentary system of government. He said that at the quarter finals, students looked at the issue of national debt, should we continue to borrow? and Agriculture vs oil. “They did very well”, he said adding that Foreign policy and urban development as well as private vs public university, which is more beeneficial, dress code, TET Fund beneficiary were addressed at the semi finals. Two schools emerged”, he said stressing that Full autonomy of local governments was the subject of debate at the finals and that it was not easy picking the eventual winner.
“It was tough. It was odd number, 2 judges against 3. Victor Roti won. Win or loss, we learn a point, that Nigeria has a future. Despite all attmpt to swindle them in the wrong direction, there is something unique about them. There is excellent use of English Language in thier presentation. We identified individual talents. Win or loss, we had excellent dilivery, we had people who had ability to speak extempore. There are some who cram and pour out what they have crammed but when you throw in questions, the strain of thought is distorted”, he said.
He was full of praise for Kenya Airline for sponsoring the Okeleye Twin who emerged from the competition to Kenya for holiday at a time when the best grauduatoing students in univeristies get just N10,000. “But people stay in a house for 90 days and gets N25 mililion”, he said satirically. “But we are happy that Kenya Airways came in”, he said stressing that the difference between the students is the level of involvement of parents and teachers in the preparation.
“As parent and teahers, we owe it a responsibility to support good ones so that they could make us proud”, he advised, stressing that he was a product of public schools. “It has opened a can of discovery, there are singers and dramatist talents that could be developed. To build their future, we need to do more”, he said, noting that there were challenges in picking students to take part in the competition unlike in the past when it was easy getting schools to particiate. “I encourage Park Inn By Radisson Abeokuta and other institution to go that way. it brings to bare the capacity of our nation to develop”, he said.
Also speaking at the event was the Guinness Book of Record holder in Longest Marathon Read Aloud project sponsored by Gtbank and the Lagos State Government, Mr. Bayode Treasure-Olawunmi. His discussion centred on the importance of reading. He made it very clear that to build an intelligent child, all you need to do is give him good books to read. “To feed the mind you read good books and think wild. Nations attain developmnt by delebrate act of reading. Give the children enabling environment to develop good reading habit”, he said, stressign that buried in books are secrets to make living easier.
“The African child must be encouraged to read. Make it a habit to read. Read as if your life depends on it for to read is to know what to do. The leaders of tomorrow are the readers of today”, he said. Treasure-Olawunmi who said he is planning a Reading Relay said the idea is to beat the Guinness World Record Holder in Reading Relay which is held by Indians, featuring 3, 071 participants. To get the record he is planning a Reading Relay that will feature 13, 660 participants. He demonstrated how it will look like during the occaision. Also speaking, Special Adviser to the Ogun State Governor on Electronic Media, Eshomomoh Imoudu said Internally Generated Revenue, IGR in Ogun State now stands at N7 billion monthly.
KAYODE AINA, GM, PARK INN BY RADISSON ABEOKUTA SPEAKS
Speaking generally on the facility, General Manager, Park Inn By Radisson Abeokuta, Mr. Kayode Aina said the hotel gets as much as 9,000 guests monthly attributing the development to its high standard which he said is better than what you have in some of the best hotels in Lagos and that the rates are negotiable. For him, the driving force is the slogan “Every moment matters”. He explained that besides the regular menu which features Eforiro, Ofada rice and the rest, the hotel also offers vegan menu.
He explained that guests are given same treat and could be modified to the needs of the visitor. As for security, he said the all the infrastructure including the perimeter fencing is completely monitored with CCTV besides the rooms adding that the state government has already certified it as the safest hotel in the state. So far, it has not recorded any security breach. He explained that besides the uniform security personnel, law enforcement officers dressed in mufti are always present to ensure that guest get the best from their stay in the hotel and he enjoined all who have witnessed this unique form of hospitality to spread the goodnews.
