Date: 2013-08-15

Community level benefits are considered more important than individual or household benefits. We sleep and rest because we need to, hence the need for leisure and relaxation after a stressful situation at work. Spending leisure time with family and loved ones at relaxation sports compensates us for the stress we experience at work thereby bringing balance to life.

“What we do in life echoes in eternity" those were the words Maximus told his soldiers in the movie gladiators. Similarly hardly anybody can deny that movie is the most popular among all the forms of entertainment since it came to being in the early twentieth century. Whether it is urban young man or family, the road to the nearest theatre is a must travel for them on weekends and during holidays. In rural areas where there is no theatre, people gather together for a community screening of a popular movie or sometimes travel all the way to the nearest town to catch up a show.

The cinema has become a powerful vehicle for culture, education and even propaganda. In past years across countries of the world, report showed that over 6.8 billion cinema admissions has created global office revenue of over US$30 billion and the admission is fast growing thereby increasing the revenue of those countries. When we start to consider revenues and audience figures of those who consume movies digitally via television and repeated viewing of film content via the cinemas, one would be amazed at the staggering figure. This community reports focuses on the history and present state of FILM HOUSE popularly called ‘ILE- FILM' in Ilorin metropolis, we also take a tour of Bolanta community where residents of the community are great full to the kwara state government for the ongoing construction and rehabilitation of film house-bolanta Gambari road.

The FILM HOUSE in Ilorin popularly called ‘ILE- FILM' that was once a center of attraction for people in Ilorin and its environs now rest in a shadow of itself. To say this tourist potential attraction is a far cry from what it used to be when it opened for commercial activities years back is a gross understatement.

As is the case with most establishments in Nigeria, maintenance culture or absence of it has left the cinema a shadow of its old self, what then went wrong?

The direct economic impact of film is clear but the effect to the wider Nigerian economy is clear. Cinema has become a powerful vehicle for culture, education, propaganda and most especially for leisure. The unique properties of attending the cinema can have decisively positive effects on mental health as visual stimulation can queue a range of emotions and collective experience. A respondent who wishes to be referred to as Alfa Yusuf gave a history of what ‘ile-film' used to look like “white men came to set up this cinema house in the early sixties and during their advent, the cinema functioned well until the early seventies when the white men left, Its was later sold out" ,now this film house has deteriorated over the years due to poor management, it is now a free for all ,government or its relevant agencies should look into this matter he added .

In the words of Kofi Annan a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations" No one is born a good citizen; no nation is born a democracy. Rather, both are processes that continue to evolve over a lifetime. Young people must be included from birth, a society that a cut off from its youth severs its lifeline." youths are the major part of a society; societies are incomplete without the youths because they play a major role in the society. Such is the case and the vital role played by Bolanta Youth Development Association (BYDA).

Newsmen gathered that it was through the unrelenting efforts of the youths in Bolanta community via an online correspondence to the former executive governor of kwara state, Dr Bukola Saraki conveying their deepest concern about the deplorable state of ile film-Bolanta road that their needs were met. Residents of the area who spoke with newsmen expressed their delight with the commencement of the road construction awarded by the kwara state government through the State Ministry of Works. They stated that the ongoing construction work will connect Film House road passing through Bolanta Mosque and terminates at Gambari road, they also confirmed that the demolition exercise embarked upon within the community is to remove shanties and other illegal structures that could obstruct the development plan and the right of way, residents of Bolanta community however confirmed that adequate compensation have been paid to affected people as valued.

“I am Alhaji shehu Bolanta an elder in this community ,I give kudos to the kwara state government for remembering our plight, this road has been marked over thirty years ago and now it's under construction", this road when completed will pave way for development in this area, he added.
The network of roadways of a country is as essential as the arterial system to the human body. The roads in a big way facilitate advancement in the economy of a country and they simultaneously facilitate communication.

Road transport is one of the most promising and potent means for rapid industrialization and agricultural advancement. It plays an important role in the economy of the country and is particularly suitable for short and medium distance. It provides the basic infrastructure for bringing the majority of the people who are living in far off villages into the mainstream of life by connecting them with the rest of the country. Other residents of Ile film- Bolanta community in their words expressed their admiration for the present Kwara state government led by his Excellency Alhaji Abdul Fattah Ahmed for the construction and rehabilitation of the ile film -Bolanta-Gambari road in Ilorin East Kwara State.

“We have been adequately compensated after the demolition of some shops and we are greatfull that our road is under construction now" Kabiru Azeez a resident in the area said. Another resident of the area who did not give her name however solicited for assistance as public toilets in the area have also been demolished to pave way for the road construction, she also noted that individuals affected during the demolition have not all been compensated.
Meanwhile, the contractor handling Film House, Gambari Road, has reiterated the company's commitment to deliver a quality job in line with government specifications. According to the company's Managing Director, Alhaji Atanda Abdulahi, the company is working towards specification without any compromise.

Alhaji Atanda said, his company has no reason not to perform because the state government has apart from mobilizing effectively has also created the desired conducive environment. Some other officials of the company who spoke with newsmen also said the ile Film-Gambari road which is 600 meters in length with 1.2 kilometer reinforced side drainage will be asphalt over lay when completed in about two months.

For now, good news might just be in sight for Ile film and invariably the residents of Bolanta community.