Why Pelumi Olajengbesi Pledges To Fix Erin Ijesa Waterfalls

By Emmanuel Adeniran

For decades, the Olumirin Waterfalls and the famous seven-layered cascade at Erin Ijesa has been described as Osun State’s sleeping economic giant. Now, one of its own sons is promising to wake it up.

Human rights lawyer and 2027 House of Representatives aspirant for Oriade/Obokun Federal Constituency, Barrister Pelumi Olajengbesi, has pledged to lead a comprehensive fix and revitalization of the Erin Ijesa Waterfalls if given the mandate to represent the people.

It is a pledge rooted in both personal history and painful present reality.

The Fall of a Wonder:

Olumirin, meaning “another deity” because of its mysterious appearance, was discovered in 1140 AD by Akinla, the founder of Erin-Ijesa town and granddaughter of Oduduwa. Located just 2km from Erin Ijesa town in Oriade Local Government, it remains one of Nigeria’s most iconic natural attractions.

But the wonder has fallen into decay.

A viral video in 2024 exposed a filthy environment around the falls, sparking outrage and forcing the Osun State Government to direct an upgrade of the waterfalls and other key sites. The traditional ruler, the Akinla of Erin-Ijesa, has repeatedly bemoaned the state of development at Olumirin and appealed to government to release it for proper management.

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Successive administrations have announced plans from access roads to public-private partnerships to develop sites like Erin Ijesa and partnerships with foreign firms like Seventh Cliff Resort but visitors still meet dilapidated facilities, poor sanitation, and untapped potential.

Why Olajengbesi Says “Enough Is Enough”:

For Pelumi Olajengbesi, this is not just tourism talk. It is personal and political.

1. He is a Son of the Soil: The Ijebu-Ijesa-born lawyer hails from Oriade Local Government Area of Osun State — the very local government that hosts the waterfall. As convener of the Imole Grassroots Mobilisation Network and an aspirant who declared on June 12, 2025 to represent Oriade/Obokun, he says he has watched the same constituency “stuck in the same place” for 24 years.
2. An Economic Goldmine Left to Waste: Studies and government assessments agree that tourism to Olumirin has a significant positive effect on rural areas. Olajengbesi argues that a well-managed waterfall can generate more sustainable revenue than federal allocation through ticketing, resorts, guides, transport, food vendors, and creative jobs for youth. His campaign mantra has been youth inclusion and “fresh thinking”.
3. From Shame to Showcase: The pledge comes after the embarrassment of the viral video that showed the world a dirty, abandoned Olumirin. For a lawyer who has built his reputation challenging bad governance, the waterfall became a symbol of leadership failure. He wants to turn it from a site people apologize for into a site Nigeria brags about.
4. Heritage Must Be Protected:
5. Beyond money, Erin Ijesa is sacred Yoruba heritage. For centuries, newly crowned Akinla and Owa Obokun consulted the waterfall deity before ascension. Letting it die is, to him, letting identity die.

In his declaration, Olajengbesi said: “What we need now is fresh thinking. A principled and energetic voice. A selfless leadership driven by service and the understanding of our collective pain”.

His plan, according to close associates, includes pushing for a federal special tourism status for Olumirin, a transparent PPP model that carries the Erin-Ijesa community along, similar to what Governor Adeleke’s government proposed with a tripartite meeting between ministries and community leaders — world-class sanitation and safety, access roads, and a youth tourism employment scheme.

For Olajengbesi, fixing Erin Ijesa Waterfalls is not a campaign slogan. It is a homecoming.