October 14, (THEWILL) – The traditional ruler of Lisa, a town under Ifo Local Government of Ogun State, Olu of Lisa, Oba Najeemden Oladele Odugbemi, has renewed the call on the State, as well as the Federal Government of Nigeria to explore possible tourism potentials of the abandoned Lisa Memorial Arcade, where the memories of the 117 passengers of the crashed Bellview Airlines Boeing 737-200 aircraft, Flight 210, on October 22, 2015, were interred.
The Lisa Memorial Arcade and Garden and other infrastructure, which was constructed by Nigeria’s government to immortalise the memories of the departed souls of the plane crash are now in a state of neglect. Seventeen years after, the facilities are in ruins as weeds have taken over what could have been a monument for tourist attractions.
Speaking to THEWILL during a recent Community Development Day event at Lisa, Oba Odugbemi lamented that the vision of making the memorial arcade, a befitting tourist centre, has been abandoned after the administration of former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, left power.
“The vision of the former President Obasanjo is to create a befitting Aviation Park, a kind of Memorial Arcade capable of attracting tourists from across Nigeria and parts of the world. But, like other projects, the vision has been neglected. I believe, the government is a continuum, we look forward to Ogun State government to Ogun State Government to resuscitate this project”, Oba Odugbemi said.
Appealing to Ogun State and the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Monarch asked the government to look into the possibility of developing Lisa Memorial Arcade into a monument, where visitors can explore the history behind the park with other associated cultural values for commercial values.
“My appeal to the government of Ogun State and the Federal Government of Nigeria is to turn Lisa Memoria Arcade into a functional tourist site capable of generating money like major arcades, gardens and memorial parks that we have across the world. Lisa Memorial Arcade has a huge history around it when we consider the effect of the tragedy on our national lives, the families involved and the wake-up call for sanity in our aviation industry”, Oba Odugbemi appealed.
Oba Odugbemi, who has been commended for single-handedly putting up infrastructures like a health centre, police post, school buildings, rural electrification and scholarship support for his community, noted that he is excited to know that Ogun State Government is considering a partnership with private investors to develop the memorial arcade.
He, however, counselled the community youths to develop the spirit of integrity, responsibility, and focus in their daily lives.
Speaking earlier at the Community Day celebration, Ogun State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Hon Adijat Oladapo Adeleye, hinted that the administration of Prince Dapo Abiodun, the Governor of Ogun State, is open to a possible partnership with private investors to fully develop Lisa Memorial Arcade and to manage it for full tourism opportunities.
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