Ososo is a scenic town of streams and rocks in the undulating Somorika hills.
The town is located in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area, in the north of
Edo StateEdo State is an inland state in central southern Nigeria. Its capital is Benin City. It is bounded in the north and east by Kogi State, in the south by Delta State and in the west by Ondo State.-History:...
, Nigeria. With an average altitude of 1236 feet above sea level, it enjoys a very temperate climate similar to that of
JosJos is a city in the Middle Belt of Nigeria.The city has a population of about 1.5 million residents. Popularly called "J-town" or "Jesus Our Saviour" by the residents, it is the administrative capital of Plateau State....
,
Plateau StatePlateau State is the twelfth largest state of Nigeria, and is roughly located in the center of the country. It is geographically unique in Nigeria because its boundaries totally surround the Jos Plateau, having the Jos Plateau totally in its central and northern part...
. The highest peak is a very large
monolithA monolith is a geological feature such as a mountain, consisting of a single massive stone or rock, or a single piece of rock placed as, or within, a monument...
of called the
Oruku rock.
Description
The town is made up of four clans: Anni, Egbetua, Okhe and Ikpena. With an approximated population of 40,000 and a combined population density of 5,111 per 7 km radius, it is one of the largest towns in the Local Government Area.
Ososo has a unique dialect of the Ghotuo-Uneme-Yekhee branch of the
EdoidThe Edoid languages are some two-to-three dozen languages spoken in Southern Nigeria, predominantly in the former Bendel State. The Edoid group belongs to Volta–Niger branch of Niger–Congo; the name of the group derives from its most widely spoken member, Edo...
linguistic lineage.
Ososo shares boundaries with
OkeneOkene is a Local Government Area and city in Kogi State, Nigeria based at the town of Okene on the A2 highway.The LGA has an area of 328 km² and a population of 320,260 at the 2006 census.The postal code of the area is 264....
to the north,
OkpellaOkpella is a kingdom situated along Benin-Abuja federal high way road. It is a town in Edo State, Nigeria and one of the three main towns that make up Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State...
to the East, Makeke to the west, Ojah to the South and Ogori to the north-west. It is a boundary town between Edo and
Kogi StateKogi state is found in the central region of Nigeria. It is popularly called the Confluence State because the confluence of River Niger and River Benue is at its capital, Lokoja, which is the first administrative capital of modern-day Nigeria....
s.
History
According to
oral traditionOral tradition and oral lore is cultural material and traditions transmitted orally from one generation to another. The messages or testimony are verbally transmitted in speech or song and may take the form, for example, of folktales, sayings, ballads, songs, or chants...
, the people of Ososo migrated from “Ogbe” in present day
Benin CityBenin City, is a city and the capital of Edo State in southern Nigeria. It is a city approximately twenty-five miles north of the Benin River. It is situated 200 miles by road east of Lagos...
in the 17th century during the era of fierce and violent inter-tribal wars between Benin kingdom and its neighbours and due to general disenchantment with the harsh economic realities of their day. The early settlers were attracted to Ososo because of its rocks, caves, temperate climate, springs and fertile lands. The expansion of descendant family lineage brought about the present four clans that the town is now made up of. Although there are many common family names in Ososo, a few include Otaru, Orifa, Okogbe, Itomo, Ogedengbe, Ogidan, Osheku, Obaitan, Bodunde, Arokamoni (or Arokhamoni), Akpologun, Okpelle, Alabi, Agbaje etc.
Tourism
Ososo town is of granitic nature, with some elevations of volcanic origin containing precious stones of varied descriptions. Located on a plateau of dispersed rocks and undulating hills, the town continues to be a haven for tourists. Because of its rocks and climate, some Europeans established a quarry company north of the town, known as BOK Quarry some years ago.
The rocks and hills of varied sizes and shapes occupy the plateau with the natural magical posture of a thousand models posing to nature’s camera.
The colonial administrations as early as the 19th century recognized the tourist potential, and the military administrator
Mohammed Abul-Salam OnukaMohammed Abul-Salam Onuka was a Nigerian soldier who served as Military Administrator of Edo State between December 1993 and September 1994. He took over from the civilian governor, John Odigie Oyegun, at the start of the military administration of General Sani Abacha.Colonel Onuka made an attempt...
(1993–1994) made some attempt to develop the tourist potential, but since then the area has been neglected. However, the tourism potentials of Ososo received a boost recently as Nigerian Breweries PLC (makers of Gulder larger beer), relaunch their 2011 Gulder Ultimate Search Season 8, in Egbetua, Ososo.
Ososo Tourist Centre.
Ososo town is on the boundary between Edo and Kogi States, is hilly and rocky. It lies about 40 kilometres from Igarra and 200 kilometres from Benin city in Edo State, The rocks and hills present a beau tiful scenery. There is a non-catering Rest House on top of a hill at Ososo, which grants a wide view of parts of Kogi State to as far as the Niger. From the Rest House can be seen some distance away a crater take with colourful fishes. An amusement park is being developed as part of the resort which has tem- perate weather for long periods in the year.
From the tourist centre, a rest house renovated by the Edo state government, there is a beautiful sight of rocks expanding all the way to Kogi state.
External links