Lifestyle

Ikogosi Warm/Cold spring in Ekiti State

Published

1 year ago

September 20, 2025

This is Ikogosi Warm/Cold spring in Ekiti State. Located in Ekiti West Local Government Area. The warm spring rolls down over a hilly landscape at 70 degrees. From another hill rises a cold spring which joins the warm spring at a confluence at the end maintaining a temperature of thirty seven degrees. Together they form a continuous stream.

The spring is said to have some therapeutic effects on some diseases like rheumatism and guinea worm. The undulating topography enhances the aesthetic beauty of the people of Ikogosi.

The people of Ikogosi worship the goddess of the water and have strong belief in the myth around it.

The myth

The traditional legend has it that the Ikogosi Warm Spring was discovered by a local hunter by the name Ogunkugan in the course of his hunting expedition.

Fagged out and with a craving for water, Ogunkugan was propelled to stop by at the water fountain, which he later discovered to have a higher temperature than other similar streams in such a pristine environment. It was with an admix of fear and ecstasy that the hunter hurriedly made his way to the Oba’s palace to reveal the amazing wonder that he had just discovered.

Pronto, the Oba dispatched a retinue of traditional title chiefs to the site to validate the awesome story. At last, it was confirmed to be true. Such a site must be idolised, the people thought in themselves, as one Ijoye Baaleshi was immediately made the spiritual head of the “Awo” (the traditional name given to the warm spring). Similarly, the adjourning cold spring, which has a confluence at a point in the same precinct was called “Awele”.

“The warm spring automatically became a place of traditional worship and point of intercession with the gods by the community dwellers for a long time during the olden days.

And it remained so until the coming of the Baptist Missionary Church into the town.

The coming of Reverend MacGee

The people of Ikogosi, while tendering this natural gift, had an encounter with a Baptist missionary, Reverend MacGee, a Briton, who was allocated some parcel of the land around the spring.

Knowing the import of the spring, Rev MacGee built a Baptist youth camp on the land, made up of chalets, a chapel, his residence, recreational corner and dormitory.

These are enclosed on the right while passing through Ikogosi to Ipole Iloro.

He managed the spring site as a tourism site and provided accommodation for visitors who streamed in to see and feel the wonders of the spring.

Rev MacGee, enjoyed the administration of the site until one night when he had an encounter with a pan Africanist fiery social critic.

Having been aware of the tourism potentialities of Ikogosi Warm spring, the late Tai Solarin packaged an excursion of some students of Mayflower School, all the way from Ikenne to Ikogosi, which was not a light adventure, considering the transportation system then.

The Mayflower group got to Ikogosi very late, wearied, tired and fagued out the excursionists desperately needed a place to sleep for the night till the next day, as there was nothing they could do by that time of their arrival.

There was no hotel or a guest house that could accommodate the excursionists other than the youth camp being run by Rev MacGee.

Solarin was said to have contacted Rev MacGee requesting for accommodation, which the latter claimed to have refused on the point that the tariff which the former offered to pay for the night was low and that late Solarin did not pre–book his accommodation.

The argument that ensued and the breakdown in negotiation led to the late Tai and the students sleeping in the open.

The second day, Solarin wrote a strongly worded and potent petition to the Government of Western State alleging that Rev MacGee was practising apartheid in Ikogosi, at the site of a natural gift of God in Nigeria.

This petition generated controversy and raised dust about the propriety of a Briton running such a site in Nigeria and even going for broke by denying Nigerians from enjoying the facilities therein, not minding the fact that he planted those structures there.

And one thing led to the other, Rev MacGee was asked to vacate the land and he went back to his country, leaving behind all the structures he erected.

Chief Adekunle Ajasin collaborated with the then Nigerian Tourist Board, then under Alhaji Ahmed Gumel, which has metamorphosed to Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, (NTDC) to develop the Area

Without gainsaying, you need to visit the Ikogosi warm spring now and see the laudable work being carried out to beautify and enhance this wonderfully and awesomely unique tourism asset in Ikogosi Ekiti by Governor Kayode Fayemi.

Source:
Wale Ojo-Lanre
Nigerian Tribune

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Lifestyle

STOP CONFUSING WEALTH WITH SUCCESS! NOT EVERYTHING THAT GLITTERS IS GOLD!

Published

12 hours ago

October 9, 2026

Oluwagbenga Olaoye

In Nigeria today, if you drive an expensive car, build a mansion, wear designer clothes, and spray money at parties, many people will automatically call you a successful person.

Nobody asks questions. Nobody looks deeper. Everybody wants to associate with you!

But if you live in a modest house, drive an ordinary car, and live within your means, some people will look down on you as if you have failed in life.

What a dangerous way to measure human worth!

We live in a society where appearances can earn you more respect than character, where people are celebrated for displaying wealth but rarely questioned about the values behind it.

A man may build a magnificent mansion while his family is falling apart. A woman may post beautiful pictures every day while struggling emotionally. Someone may spray millions of naira at parties but owe people money. Another person may be living quietly, paying their bills, raising their children, and building a secure future without making noise on social media.

Who is truly successful?

The problem is not wealth. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being rich, driving a luxury car, or living in a beautiful house. The problem begins when we judge people entirely by what they possess instead of who they are.

In Nigeria, we must stop teaching our children that success means becoming rich at all costs. We must stop worshipping politicians and celebrities simply because they display wealth. We must stop assuming that everybody who travels abroad is doing better than those who remain at home.

A person’s lifestyle is not proof of their character, the source of their wealth, or the happiness they experience behind closed doors.

Dear Nigerians, learn to think beyond what your eyes can see. Ask questions. Examine facts. Value integrity over intimidation, wisdom over showmanship, and peace of mind over public applause.

Because at the end of the day, the size of your house cannot measure the quality of your life, and the price of your car cannot determine your worth as a human being.

LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION:

If a Nigerian man drives a ₦150 million car but has no peace of mind, while another man drives an ordinary car, pays his bills, has a loving family, and sleeps peacefully every night, WHO IS TRULY RICH?

Are we celebrating genuine success in Nigeria, or have we become prisoners of appearances?

Drop your honest opinion in the comments. Let’s have a serious discussion!

Share this message if you believe Nigerians need to change the way they define success.

#Nigeria #NigerianSociety #NotEverythingThatGlittersIsGold #TrueSuccess #CriticalThinking #LifeLessons

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Lifestyle

AFRICAN FAMILIES: WHY DO WE KEEP REPEATING THE SAME MISTAKES FROM ONE GENERATION TO THE NEXT?

Published

24 hours ago

October 8, 2026

Oluwagbenga Olaoye

In many African families, the same problems seem to travel from grandparents to parents and from parents to their children. Different faces, different years, but sometimes the same suffering.

A grandfather who ruled through fear raises a father who believes that shouting is leadership. A mother who was silenced throughout her marriage may teach her daughter to endure the same treatment. Children who grew up watching their parents fight may enter adulthood without learning how to resolve conflict peacefully.

And when somebody dares to challenge these patterns, the response is often:

“THAT IS HOW WE WERE BROUGHT UP!”

But since when did the way we were raised become proof that everything we learned was right?

In some African households, questioning an elder is considered disrespect. Family secrets must remain hidden to protect the family name. Children are expected to obey, even when adults refuse to listen. Marriage problems are sometimes concealed to avoid public shame, while relatives pressure people to tolerate situations that deserve to be addressed.

We tell our children to respect their elders, but do we teach elders to respect their children?

We tell young people to preserve our culture, but do we encourage them to distinguish between valuable traditions and harmful habits?

We demand that children become successful, but do we examine the behaviours, attitudes, and family environments that shape their future?

AFRICAN CULTURE IS NOT THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM IS WHEN WE REFUSE TO QUESTION HARMFUL BEHAVIOURS SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY HAVE EXISTED FOR GENERATIONS.

Our ancestors passed down wisdom, courage, community spirit, and valuable traditions. We should preserve those things. But we should not blindly inherit every fear, prejudice, unhealthy relationship pattern, or destructive family rule.

Respect does not require silence. Love does not require suffering. Tradition does not excuse wrongdoing.

The African family must learn that breaking a harmful cycle is not a betrayal of one’s parents. Sometimes, it is the greatest gift a person can give the next generation.

Imagine an African generation that teaches boys emotional intelligence instead of aggression, girls self-respect instead of silent endurance, parents communication instead of intimidation, and families honesty instead of protecting appearances.

THAT IS HOW GENERATIONAL CHANGE BEGINS.

One generation must have the courage to question what the previous generation accepted.

One generation must be willing to heal what the previous generation ignored.

One generation must decide that its children deserve better.

LET’S TALK! 👇🏿

What is one harmful pattern in African families that you believe must end with our generation?

Is it excessive parental control, favouritism among children, family pressure, toxic marriages, fear of questioning elders, or hiding family problems to protect the family name?

Speak your mind respectfully. Someone reading your comment may realise that a cycle they considered normal can actually be changed.

#AfricanFamilies #AfricanCulture #BreakTheCycle #GenerationalPatterns #FamilyValues #AfricanSociety #Newsbreak365

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Lifestyle

BIG HOUSES. LUXURY CARS. EXPENSIVE LIFESTYLES. LOTS OF MONEY. YET, STILL NOT HAPPY.

Published

1 day ago

October 8, 2026

Oluwagbenga Olaoye

We live in a world where people are constantly told that happiness is waiting for them behind a bigger house, a more expensive car, designer clothes, exotic vacations, and a bigger bank account.

But here is the uncomfortable truth:

You can afford almost everything and still feel empty inside.

You can sleep in a mansion and still struggle to find peace.
You can drive a luxury car and still cry when nobody is watching.
You can have millions in the bank and still feel lonely.
You can post a perfect life online while privately fighting battles nobody knows about.

Money can buy comfort.
Money can buy opportunities.
Money can buy beautiful experiences.

But money cannot automatically buy purpose, genuine love, inner peace, or emotional fulfilment.

And this is something many societies—including African societies—need to talk about.

We often celebrate people because of what they own rather than who they are. We admire the car before asking whether the person behind the steering wheel is actually happy.

Maybe success should not only be measured by what you can buy.

Maybe success is also having peace of mind, meaningful relationships, good health, purpose, and the freedom to enjoy your life without constantly proving your worth to others.

Because at the end of the day:

A wealthy life is not necessarily a fulfilled life.

What do you think?

Can money buy happiness—or does happiness come from something deeper?

#Money #Happiness #Success #Wealth #Life #AfricanPerspective #MentalWellbeing #CriticalThinking #Purpose #SocialMedia

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