Friday, 14 August 2015

EKITI STATE: A rare beauty

Ekiti state was created on 1st October 1996, carved out from Ondo state……….. Am from this state so I can't promise not to be a bit bias. lol.  Unleashing the city's myth, beliefs, down to its superstitions. Most of the facts about the state is already  known. 
One of the major uniqueness of this beautiful state is the captivating hills that spreads all across Ekiti, trust me, they are hard to miss. Do you know that the name of the town was extracted from a local term “Okiti”, which means hill? The hills do not only magnify the mesmerizing views, they also have spiritual and cultural beliefs




.

Another special thing about the Ekiti people is the “Ekiti Dialect”, this dialect is spoken all over Ekiti but there are slight differences in how it is spoken in various towns in Ekiti, some say it's as a result of spatial locations, especially the border communities to other states. For example the indigenes of Ado local government do not speak the exact same Ekiti dialect as the Ijero local government indigenes, while the people of Ikole do not speak the exact same Ekiti dialect with the Ikere indigenes. The interesting thing about the dialect is that it looks as if it is the mixture of dialects spoken in different path  of the states in  South West, Nigeria, a recipe of Ijumus in Kwara, Ijesa dialect in Osun state e.t.c. It's no news Ekiti people best food is Pounded Yam, Egusi soup and some fresh palmwine. A typical Ekiti man can eat that 3 times a day.

Olosunta and Orole Baba oke hills in Ikere Ekiti are one of the most popular hills in Ekiti. History has it that they  helped their village people during an atttack from Oyo Soldiers long time ago. They both opened up to hide their village people. Elders in Ikere said Olosunta opened up to release it's people after the war  but Orole wanted it's own kingdom/world so it never opened up. Till today it is believed people are still living inside this hill, and some people even claimed if you stay there long enough you can hear people singing, pounding yam and doing other activities too inside this infamous hill. I use to sneak out in secondary school to listen too. Don't ask me if i heard anything tho. lol.  Every year the people of this town offered sacrifice to Orole hill to appreciate its protection upon them.  
Apart from the hills, the city is also blessed with other glamorous tourist attractions, the warm spring, a waterfall, dam, beautiful rainforests and ridges. The city’s tourist attraction is like no other, I bet you can’t and wouldn’t find a warm spring in any other state (at least hasn’t been discovered yet). Ekiti is endowed with a spring which from it oozes cold and warm water with no man help involved; it is located in Ekiti West Local government. Also is the Arinta waterfall at Ipole-Iloro, the beauty of this waterfall is like no other, the serenity, bulky rainforest, clear air and the coolness of the waterfall itself can be felt all around the area. Then, there’s the man made Ero dam sighted at Ikun Ekiti, the dam even though man made, has it own life. The dam which was initially designed to cover only five kilometers but eventually developed into an eleven kilometer lake! Can you imagine?

Ilawe Ekiti
The Ekiti people are very, very intelligent set of people, most  people believes that we are stubborn tho (Snort) I think we are courageous and sweet. Besides Ekiti has been known to have produced the highest number of professors in Nigeria, koh easy to be accredited Fountain of Knowledge now, enough of the bragging. The only thing an average Nigerian know about Ekiti is that they are stubborn people. Can't claim or disclaim that tho. Someone asked me that which state has the most beautiful girls among yoruba state and you can guess my answer right?     Lol. I will post pictures of Ikogosi Warm spring and Ipole iloro waterfall when i visit again. Thanks for reading people....
Skyline view in Ado Ekiti

Thursday, 16 April 2015

IRIDESCENT

Hi guyz......
Just posting pictures of my random landscape photography. The road here has not been letting me see the road there(yoruba adage) that's why have not been posting enough stuffs. I hope you like it. To order for any of my picture made into frames contact mobakareillustra@gmail.com

Wednesday, 25 February 2015

Lagos State


My Short Trip to the Place of Fortune


Am a big fan of water but have never summoned the courage to enter a giant wooden something that floats on water before "boat" somehow because of its obvious disadvantages of course, but let's say my curiosity about this beautiful Island in Osolu Kingdom, Irewe village actually got the better of me and i let myself get talked into going somewhere where the only means of transportation is via water.


Irewe village is under Ojo Local Government in Lagos state. P.s You know i cant talk about Lagos state with one blog post so pardon me to take it in bits. Irewe means "The Place of  Fortune" The people of Irewe are Aworis of Yoruba Nation and the main dialect is Awori. They have the same culture as other Yoruba people anywhere in the country.
Beautiful Scenery

Favorite pictures of all time



Irewe people are mostly farmers and fishermen, and the women are mat weavers and petty traders their main agricultural products are coconuts. 
Irawe Village
 There are very large coconut plantations belonging to individual farmers on Osolu land, i swear everywhere you turn there is a coconut tree.lol
Coconut! Coconut and more coconuts
 


Ok seriously have you ever seen people eating Eba (yellow color eba apparently prepared with dry pepper) and boiled crab water before? I did ooo and i took pictures too. They claimed its delicious but errrrr i think i ll pass, i did taste the crab tho, it tastes amazing like a better version of boiled fish.
Come and eat.......Nice men

Some men using manual dredger to do some hard labour
                                        
These Island i heard is surrounded by almost four beautiful beaches, its an investor dream really, the first money "We" make is going into a beach house here...lol.kidding probably a better camera first. 
awwwwwww
                                         


The Kids


I have a feeling am forgetting something. errrrrrrrrrr Oh yes am definitely spending my Easter break here, because i didn't get a chance to visit these exquisite beaches but i will then and if i feel nice i will  upload the pictures. I also heard a rumour that the Oba "HRH King Abideen is building a fine a** hotel before then,  so hopefully it would have been completed.
The only car i saw in the village, it belongs to the Oba

The Palace.
 Special thanks to my host The King, The Princess and My Prince... Oh and that nice man that gave me crab to taste for the first time in my life and to the boat driver that took me to&fro without turning my wahala head inside the water. (despite his instruction not to move around so much in the boat for proper balance, had to take pictures nawww so i moved like 1million times) 
Ajala the Traveler


I call this place Nigeria Hawaii, It's beautiful, calm and there are beaches and  coconuts.lol

Photo credits:Mobakareillustra photography
Follow us on Instagram: @mobakareillustraa
Thanks!

Thursday, 12 February 2015

The Glittering Tide

                          A Glittering Tide
Creeping, slippering, Crawling, hurriedly.........
Until its drawn aback by a terrible force
Which force is stronger, mine or yours?
Creeping, slippering, Crawling hurriedly.........
Oh bright maiden shine
Your glitters on my beautiful face
Make the sly foresee a lie
Wet, cold, damp as it whisk your strenght away
Trust its beauty not, as it is cunny as as a bunny
Throw a precious jewel, throw a crappy bell
Yet it rest at it coast trying to lure you in
Soft Nd silky as it whisks it's shades away
The swash lashes like a caveman's whip
The tide inspired my deepest thoughts
You only see what you want to see in me
So it says to everyone
Poem was written by my 16 year old sister "Aminah" She wrote it within 15minutes of showing her the picture above  and brought it back and was like here, "a poem for your picture" and then she turned and saunters away like the dramatic queen she is.  Its amazing I know, buh hell no!  I wont tell her this, her head is bigger than lagos city already won't want it to explode.
P.s My next blog is going to be about Ekiti state or Ogun state.... and I promise I wont make you wait too long.... Thanks

Tuesday, 13 January 2015

Abuja


My Wild Beauty


Have you ever really wonder why Abuja is the Capital of Nigeria? I mean out of all the 36 states.  Well, I use to ask this question.  What makes it deserves that royal title? I don't know but here is a clue.
 Abuja is located in the centre of Nigeria, within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Abuja is a planned city, and was built mainly in the 1980s. I mean even the public toilet built in the city is already in the grand plan.  It officially became Nigeria's capital on 12 December 1991, replacing Lagos, though the latter remains the country's most populous city.
Airport Road, Abuja
Abuja wasn’t chosen as the Capital of Nigeria. The town known as Abuja is actually the place currently called Suleja. In 1976 a huge virgin land in the centre of Nigeria was curved out from Kaduna, Niger, Nassarawa, and Kogi States and called Federal Capital Territory. The center of this place was then identified as the place to build a befitting city and made the capital of Nigeria. The Myth said the place must be equal in distance from all the four corners of the country.
Diary of a Lazy Photographer, Forever taking picture inside a moving car. lol
                              
A name was then searched for the city. The indigenes of the land sequested volunteered the name of the town that housed all the surveyors and workers who searched for the land which was then Abuja. They relinquished the name and took the new name of Suleja after the name of their Emir who was called Suleman

From then on the construction of the new city called Abuja started. The Westerners were not responsive at first so didn’t bother to acquire lands, the Northerners couldn’t be bothered either but the Easterners were far more sighted commercially and acquired more lands than other Nigeria.

 Movement from Lagos to Abuja was very slow because of the earlier resistance from the Westerners till 1995 when Abacha ordered every Federal Ministry and MDAs TO RELOCATE to Abuja within a stipulated time. Yeah,……… well the Rest is History I won’t want to bore you with. I will love to tell you more about Abuja but...lol go and check Google ooo. 

Random picture of people waiting at MMA2 Airport, Looks like a scene from an Igbo movie. right?

 So I decided I wanted my next blog to be about Abuja so I carried my luggage’s and head straight to the airport at my earliest opportunity  (This is not me forming I actually have phobia for height but  Lagos to Abuja was just too far so....) Landed around 8:00pm  and the cab fare  from the airport to my Uncle's place in Gwarinpa was a whole Nigeria 5500naira currency. lol. ( I cursed the cab man a bit but I knew it wasn’t his fault, our currency has lost so much value. It’s shameful) and these town is the most expensive of them all.
Despite the urge to always puke on my Seat mate as usual, i managed to drag my camera out to take this one picture of Lagos-Abuja Skyline
 Abuja is surrounded by well-formed Landscapes and tall mountains, kinda looks like Ekiti-State’s own. I supposed that's the reason the city is cold and yes beautiful. We are all familiar with the Zuma rock, Central mosque, Sheraton hotel views and photographs of them as well that is always constantly showcased to the people but as a low key  tourist like me,  these are the places i visited.
Jabi Lake, is an artificial lake in ABJ. A quiet peaceful place to chill, REALLY.
                                   
My rocking Horse man. Rode on this Pretty lady for a while and this nice man didn't collect a dime.

Cute Couples

Reflection


Iya Oyo Bukateria hahaha. cheap and very nice swallows. After spending 2k per meal for the first two days a friend gisted me about here. Thanks for saving my life Dear Friend

To answer my own question Abuja has been moulded to turn into a beautiful, but expensive cute city. The roads are almost perfect and the streets are so clean, there is nothing jaga jaga bou the city*in  Eedris Abdulkareem voice* compared to some under developed state in Nigeria.  I think it deserved the big title.

Landscapes, Abuja

Despite all skyscrapers building in the city we still have some deep communities where most indigenes of Abuja hails from such as Gwagalada, Suleja, Kuje and some other small Settlements like this one’s 

Tunga Ashere, AMAC
·        
       Pictures taken in Tungan Area and Kayace kuje area council, Abuja

Kayace, Kuje Area council


Landscape, Abuja

In the midst of all the glee and beauty, i saw a woman on a sunny afternoon with two hands on her head and tears on her face. Lets not forget the needy please. God Bless you

Thanks to my host Big Uncle K, Eyes of Insanity (Abdul), Farouq and Omooba for letting me disturb them for a short while, Mr Goke AKinlabi for pictures of Kuje Villages and the source for my research on Abuja history will not want to be casted but Thank you very much too.

Lol If you have any contribution on why Abuja got the Capital, comment please, am a sucker for knowledge and history. 


Monday, 17 November 2014

Osun State

Osun State is an inland state in south-western Nigeria. Its capital is Osogbo. It is bounded in the north by Kwara State, in the east partly by Ekiti State and partly by Ondo State, in the south by Ogun State and in the west by Oyo State. The state's current governor is Rauf Aregbesola, who was declared as the winner of 2007 election by Appeal Court in Ibadan on 26 November 2010. Ogbeni (Rauf Aregbesola) was also Reelected as Osun State Governor on August 9 2014. Osun State is home to several of Nigeria's most famous landmarks, including the campus of Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria's pre-eminent institution of higher learning. The university is also located in the ancient town of Ile-Ifẹ, an important early center of political and religious development for Yoruba culture. Other important cities and towns include the ancient kingdom-capitals of Oke-Ila Orangun, Ila Orangun, Ijebu-Jesa, Ede, Iwo, Ejigbo, Modakeke, Ibokun, Ifetedo, Esa-Oke and Ilesa.  (From Wikipedia)


Okies! enough of the history lesson. lol.I have been in Osun State since my University days and i can say "Osogbo" to be precise is one of the most peACEFUL place in Nigeria.  I have some beautiful landscape pictures of Osun and am going to share them.
Osun state can boast of beautiful landscapes.

Roaming in Ede. This is a picture of the Water corporation spot in Ede Local Government. Beautiful...Isn't it?


wooooooooow...right? lol.I love these place.

 Going Deep into the community, somewhere in Boripe Local Government.... with happy and hopeful people in it....
This picture is the front page of a magazine am currently working on for my Organization, titled the "The Hope". watch out for it. I promise it will be amazing....The Picture was taken in a deep community in Orolu Local Government. I will tell you what i do when am not busy taking pictures later..
This beautiful landscape is in Osogbo, JUST along Ogooluwa road if your are familiar with the city. Wonderful place to live.... I will tell any investor to buy this place but since i dont have money to do that. shutting up =======



A landscape picture of Fountain University OSOGBO, my awesome Uni......Reminiscing  hmmmmmm
F
GMT HOTEL Osogbo,  is One of the best hotels around town with fast services, state of the art gym,  Good food ennnh.lol. Pool, sport center, Outside patio, children playground and many more. yOU have gatz to visit here if ur coming to Osun for the first time really.   Thanks for viewing. More pictures coming your way especially pictures of the famous Osun Shrine, Wonderful Art galleries e.t.c in the city. yeah yeah! It's not all dark in here.Like most Lagos people that has never left Lagos thinks.....Okbye, see you soon