One of the historical monuments in Nigeria is the second storey building in Nigeria, and also the second storey building in the entire West Africa. It was built in 1842 by Anglican Missionaries and located at Ipate Oyinbo, Ota, Ogun State.
Ota people contends that the revered Bishop Ajayi Crowther, the first African Bishop translate the Bible from the English language to Yoruba in that building. He left relics in that historical building.
Jaye Alalade, the Church Secretary of Saint James Anglican Church, Ota once said that there should be no controversy at all about the place of translation of the Bible as historians were of the opinion that the translation was actually done in the first storey building in Badagry.
According to him, “Bishop Ajayi’s Crowther was administering some sections of the Christian churches then from Ota. It was very prominent in the book on the history of the early Christian movement by The Johnson. Ajayi Crowther was specifically tagged
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with Ota because he was administering the churches then from Ota. We can even say that he was a Bishop as at that time in Ota.
It was stated in that Johnson book that he translated, doing the work of the translation of the Bible from here. I can say that with all authority and that is the only authentic book you can get on the issue for now that actually spoke about the early missionaries.
Like all other historical monuments across the country, the second storey building tagged “1842” is about to give way, as it may soon become history due to neglect from the authority responsible for keeping such relics.
Passing through Ota last weekend, I was taken aback when I saw the state of the building. I asked the Church members who disclosed that, ‘the State Government has abandoned the building despite pleas to do something to preserve one of the monuments Ogun State should be proud of. Moreso, it should have been a reference point for our students and tourists. The chair of Bishop Ajayi Crowther and so many other relics of this great man are still intact in the building.’
Another said, “I can conduct you round here and you will be amazed to see the graveyards of most early missionaries, Bishop Ajayi contemporaries graveyards are besides the second storey building because they died in Ota. We’ve a lot of relics that will interest historians and tourists in this place but does our government care about history and tourism?”
