On July 31st, 2025, a grand “commissioning” took place at Olumo Rock.
The governor smiled for the cameras, a plaque was unveiled, and social media came alive with photos and captions declaring the birth of a new tourist attraction.
But for anyone who truly knows Ogun State; or who climbed Olumo Rock over a decade ago, the irony was hard to miss.
This wasn’t a new project.
It wasn’t even renovated in the real sense. It was repackaged. Repainted. Rebranded.
To outsiders, it looked like progress. But those who know Abeokuta understood it was another performance.
Nothing was newly built. Nothing was repaired.
And the elevator being praised as part of the “transformation”? Still locked.
Not working during the event. Not working after.
So what exactly was celebrated?
The towers had long existed. The museum wasn’t new. The entire site was simply dusted off and paraded as a fresh achievement.
A paint job here. A staged photo there. And applause was expected.
But the people have seen this playbook before; old projects recycled for new praise.
That elevator, for instance, was installed years ago by the Otunba Gbenga Daniel administration.
When it broke down due to lack of maintenance by preceeding administration, which Dapo was a major player, residents quietly returned to using the stairs.
Now it reappears on an achievement list without being repaired.
If it had truly been fixed, it would have been working. Open. Operational. Showcased with pride.
Instead, it stayed locked, while the event distracted from what really mattered.
Are we truly being led, or merely managed? When will Dapo Abiodun gets tired of playing to the gallery?
Because what happened at Olumo Rock wasn’t commissioning.
It was a touch-up of history dressed as present-day glory.
And that’s what stings; not the ceremony, but what it represents.
A pattern where gaps are glossed over, ribbon-cuttings are celebrated, and nothing truly changes.
But Abeokuta deserves more than surface-level gestures.
During the tenure of Otunba Gbenga Daniel, the city experienced real development.
The Olumo Rock known today was transformed under his leadership; Nigeria’s first external panoramic elevators were introduced, giving access to the elderly and physically challenged.
A telescope offered a clear view of the city. A symbolic fountain was added. The stairs were rebuilt for safety.
A proper museum was constructed, and food courts were positioned for comfort.
It was a full vision, not a retouch.
Even President Olusegun Obasanjo commissioned the site in 2005; a legacy moment.
Now that legacy is being rebranded.
A new plaque stands where credit should have been shared, not stolen.
Call it what it is: revisionism, not renovation.
And while visitors may be impressed, those who live in Abeokuta know the truth.
Drive past Mokola Bridge. Head towards Ilugun. Explore the interior parts of the city. You’ll see broken roads, neglected corners, and communities waiting for real change.
@freelanews These are what Dapo Abiodun is planning to leave behind for Abeokuta people after over seven years in government. This is Mokola, a once lively town, turned into a ghost town due to maladministration. From Mokola through Ilugun to Ake is nothing to write home about. Look at what Elega is now looking like. May Dapo Abiodun never happen to any consistency now or in future. Election has consequences. #fyp #foryou ♬ original sound – bashorun media
This isn’t anger. It’s exhaustion.
People are tired of watching the same projects return with new names.
Tired of being told that old work is new progress. Tired of clapping for facelifts called transformation.
There was a time when the city moved forward. When ideas turned into visible development. When leadership built, not branded.
That era ended in 2011.
Today, what we see are photo ops. Ceremonies. Stories rewritten to suit the moment.
But governance should not be about retelling the past.
It should be about creating something new.
Not just free entrance to a rock for two months, but real development that reaches every home, every street, every corner of the state.
If leaders must claim glory, let it be for what they truly built; not what they only repainted.
The city is not a backdrop for PR. It is home to real people with real needs.
Eleyi, why are you mocking us?
Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.
