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Tag: Cross River

  • Carnival Calabar: C’River govt gifts N1m grant to 10 hotels

    Carnival Calabar: C’River govt gifts N1m grant to 10 hotels

    By Wevole Ezin

    In its avowed determination to maintain its status as the preferred tourism destination in Nigeria and provide standard accommodation for the larger number of visitors expected at this year’s edition of Carnival Calabar, Cross River State government has given one million naira grant each to 10 hotels in the state capital, Calabar to enable them improve on their facilities.

    Presenting the award to the deserving hotels at Kada Cinema Studio 2, Marina Resort, Calabar Wednesday, the Managing Director of the state Tourism Bureau, Prince Ekpenyong Ojoi said the initiative, aptly named “Empowering Hotels, Investing in Excellence,” is a testament to the state government’s unwavering commitment to sustainable tourism and belief in the potential of its local businesses.

    While expressing gratitude to the state governor for his steadfast dedication to fulfilling promises outlined in the “People First” mantra, he said the award presentation is a tangible demonstration of his commitment to fostering economic growth and empowerment within the state.

    According to him, the 10 exceptional hotels were carefully selected based on their commendable efforts in staying up-to-date with licensing requirements and their potential for remarkable growth.

    “Today’s recognition is not merely a financial grant, it is a vote of confidence in your commitment to excellence, service quality, and the advancement of our state’s tourism landscape.

    “We acknowledge that the tourism industry thrives when our hospitality partners are thriving. It is in this spirit that we embark on this journey of empowerment, knowing that by investing in our hotels, we invest in the very essence of our tourism potential.”

    The Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Rt Hon Elvert Ayambem who described the gesture as a welcome development said this is what the hoteliers have been yearning for to enable them reposition and improve on their facilities.

    Ayambem, represented by the Minority Leader of the Assembly Hon Samuel Abang pledged the Assembly’s readiness to cooperate with the tourism industry in the area of law making to ensure its viability.

    “In terms of security, we are pushing had to ensure that our state return to what it used to be in the past. We have passed the Anti kidnapping law with death sentence as penalty among other good laws to ensure the safety and protection of our people.”

    The Commissioner for Tourism, Hon Abubakar Ewa who noted that the hospitality industry has suffered stagnation in the recent past, praised Governor Otu for the grant which he said will help them renovate their facilities in readiness to cater for the accommodation of the teeming human traffic expected in the state for its 32 days Christmas Festival including Carnival Calabar.

    One of the beneficiaries of the grant and Managing Director of Pyramid Hotel Calabar, Mr Charles Ogar thanked Otu for the grant which he said will go a long way to help in giving their hotels a facelift especially during this festive period.

  • NBC seeks support to demarcate Cross River/Ebonyi interstate boundary

    NBC seeks support to demarcate Cross River/Ebonyi interstate boundary

    The National Boundary Commission (NBC) has urged relevant stakeholders in Cross River and Ebonyi to support ongoing efforts toward the demarcation of the interstate boundary.

    The Director-General of the commission, Mr Adamu Adaji, made the call in Abuja on Monday, at a joint meeting of officials of both states to address the lingering interstate boundary dispute.

    Adaji explained that the meeting was convened to review the status of the boundary and discuss the way forward towards definition and delimitation of the boundary.

    He said that the interstate boundary dispute between the states dates back several years ago.

    He added that misunderstanding and crisis engulfs the border communities from time to time due to the land dispute and indigene settler dichotomy.

    He blamed the persistent crises on the non-determination and demarcation of the interstate boundary, describing it as one of the volatile interstate boundaries in Nigeria with high risk of threat to peace.

    “The crisis on the boundary necessitated the interventions of former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his vice Mr Atiku Abubakar at different times.

    “The Federal Government was also compelled to draft military personnel to the sectors of the boundary in 2005 to maintain peace.

    “The commission’s efforts over the years, had been to re-establish the boundary in accordance with available documents.

    “These efforts resulted in the tracing and provisional demarcation of the boundary by a Joint Field Team (JFT) on the boundary between 2000 and 2004,” he said.

    The DG said that the fieldwork produced two claim lines representing the positions of the states, adding that the NBC reviewed the states’ claim lines and proposed a boundary line but was rejected by both states.

    He added that while Ebonyi accepted a segment of the proposed line, Cross River insisted that the boundary line must be in line with her claim.

    He, however, said that the commission and the states’ subsequent efforts focused mainly on the restoration of peace to the warring communities of both states.

    “Accordingly, the joint meetings of officials held in 2010, 2011 and 2013 resolved that peace committees be constituted at different levels to ensure the return of peace to the affected communities.

    “This was to pave the way for further actions on the boundary, but sadly, the committees never functioned.

    “The former Vice-President and Chairman of the National Boundary Commission, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, also intervened in February 2017 when he met with the Governors of the two States.

    “Unfortunately, the scheduled follow-up activities could not be implemented due to non-cooperation of the two States.

    “In the wake of the unfortunate Ukelle/Izzi crisis of June 2018, the National Boundary Commission and the two states took prompt action by visiting the communities affected and agreed on actions to be taken,” he said.

    Adaji further said that the governors of the two states met in 2018, adding that a Joint Technical Committee of Experts equally met and resolved to pave the way for the return of peace to the affected communities.

    “It is on this note that I welcome you once more to the meeting and appeal that we focus on the imperative of peace among the people.

    “I urge us all to discuss all the issues with every sense of commitment to supporting the commission’s effort towards the demarcation of the boundary,” he said.

    Also speaking, Mr Peter Odey, Deputy Governor of Cross River, and Chairman of the State Boundary Committee, acknowledged the impasse on the boundary dispute between the states.

    Odey expressed the readiness of the state to support ongoing efforts to bring the lingering dispute to a logical conclusion.

    Similarly, Mrs Patricia Obila, Deputy Governor of Ebonyi, and Chairperson of the state Boundary Committee, commended NBC for the efforts to address the dispute.

    Obila pledged the support of the Ebonyi government towards putting an end to the fracas among the states’ neighbouring communities.

  • Obudu Airport ready by April 2024 – Official

    Obudu Airport ready by April 2024 – Official

    The Cross River Government has disclosed that the Obudu Cargo Airport being constructed by the state will be ready for operation by April 2024.

    This was disclosed by the state Commissioner for Aviation, Mr Eno Inah, during inspection of the project on Tuesday.

    He said though the contractor had given 120 days for its completion, he would want to make it 180 days from today (Tuesday) for the completion.

    Inah said that contrary to claim that the airport project had been abandoned by the current administration, work was progressing well on the project.

    He noted that the Gov. Bassey Otu-led administration was desirous to see to the timely completion of the project.

    According to him, “We are here to assure Cross River people that like the governor has said in most of his statements, no project will be abandoned.

    “In matching words with action, construction is ongoing at the Cargo Airport.

    “I am optimistic that God on our side in 180 days, we should be talking of inauguration, going by what we have seen.

    “You can see that the various structures at the airport are at various stages of completion.

    “The contractor has given his word that the Cargo Airport project will be completed in the next 120 days. As a responsible government, I put it at 180, to ensure that everything is done before commissioning.”

    Inah said that the people and ultimately the state, would be the greatest beneficiaries of the project.

    He explained that not only would the airport improve the economic livelihood of the people around the project, it would also boost the tourism potentials of the state due to its proximity to the Obudu Ranch.

    Meanwhile, the Project Manager, Mr Shola Okeleye, said they were working to ensure that the project was delivered timely and according o standard.

    Giving a breakdown of the completion stage of various structures of the project, Okeleye said, “the tower is 85 per cent completed while the terminal building is about 75 per cent.

    “The runway and taxi way are 85 and 80 per cent completed respectively.

    “From the level of work done so far, we are optimistic that the project will be delivered in 120 days time.”

    The immediate past administration of the state inaugurated the construction of the project in March 2021.

  • Cross River pensioners dissatisfied about two cups of rice palliative

    Cross River pensioners dissatisfied about two cups of rice palliative

    Pensioners in the Calabar branch of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) say the 400 bags of rice given to 2.5 million of them to share as palliative are grossly inadequate.

    The Calabar branch of NUP  covers Odukpani, Calabar Municipality, Calabar South, Akpabuyo, and Bakassi local government areas in the Southern Senatorial District of Cross River.

    Speaking with NAN in Calabar on Wednesday, Chairman of the branch, Mr Godwin Effiong, said it was absurd to share two or three cups of rice to each member.

    He stressed that it was even unconscionable to ask a pensioner to spend N1,000 on transportation to travel for about 12 kilometres from his village to Calabar only to collect two cups of rice.

    He said also that it would have been difficult to share the rice, but for the appointment of coordinators in each of the five local government areas.

    He explained that information that reached the union was that the Federal Government would send N800 bags of rice as fuel subsidy removal palliative to pensioners in the state.

    Effiong added that “all of a sudden, it was cut down because pensioners in the state are of two categories, the state and the local government pensioners.

    “Local government pensioners belong to a group called Pensioners Association which they carved out by themselves and we also have NUP for state retirees; so the palliative was shared between the two groups almost equally.

    “It was grossly insufficient because some people went home with just three cups of rice while others got between five to seven cups because we wanted it to go round to avoid complaints later,’’ Effiong said.

    He, however, expressed appreciation for federal and state governments’ gestures to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal.

    Cross River government has also approved the payment of N10,000 monthly to workers and pensioners in the state for six months.

  • Cross River gorillas will boost local tourism if protected, says Wild Africa Fund

    Cross River gorillas will boost local tourism if protected, says Wild Africa Fund

    Wild Africa Fund, an environmental NGO, says that Cross River gorillas can boost local tourism if there are deliberate policies to protect them.

    The fund urges the public to protect Nigeria’s unique Cross River gorillas by supporting ongoing efforts to safeguard their populations and habitat as well as reducing demand for commercial bush meat that threatens them.

    This is contained in a statement signed by Festus Iyorah, Nigeria Representative of the fund, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lagos.

    According to him, the Cross River gorillas live in the mountainous region between Nigeria and Cameroon and it’s Africa’s most endangered ape species.

    He said that available records showed that fewer than 300 individuals of these gorillas remained in the wild, with 100 of them living in Nigeria’s Cross River State and the rest in Cameroon.

    He said that the Gorillas were found in Nigeria in the Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, the Mbe Mountains, and the Okwangwo division of the Cross River National Park.

    He explained that the Cross River gorilla, one of Nigeria’s most iconic and cherished wildlife species, faced numerous threats, including hunting and habitat loss due to agricultural expansion, commercial logging, and the encroachment of human settlements into its habitat.

    Iyorah noted that while the hunting of gorillas had reduced over the last few years, wire snares set for other animals in the bush meat trade could also entrap gorillas, leading to injuries and, in some cases, death.

    “We can’t afford to lose even one of our 100 Cross River Gorillas at this critical stage. Let us all come together to protect the Cross River Gorilla and ensure that these remarkable species continue to thrive in our country for generations to come,” Iyorah said.

    The Nigeria representative said that the country had taken significant steps to address those challenges and protect the Cross River Gorilla.

    He said that the National Park Service and Cross River State Government, in collaboration with local and international conservation organisations, had been working to safeguard the gorilla’s habitat, enforce anti-poaching laws, and promote community-based conservation initiatives.

    He said that efforts were crucial,  not only for the survival of the Cross River gorillas but also for the preservation of our rich biodiversity and the sustainable development of our communities.

    He listed the benefits of protecting the gorillas.

    ” Gorilla based tourism is an invaluable asset to some African countries like Rwanda and Uganda, offering a win-win scenario for both conservation and economic development.

    “Tourists from around the globe are drawn to the magic of gorilla encounters, making Gorilla-based tourism a source of foreign currency and funding for community development projects such as schools and healthcare centres.

    “Gorilla trekking accounted for 14 per cent of the 498 million dollars Rwanda earned from tourism in 2018, when the government doubled the cost of Gorilla-trekking permits to 1,500 dollars per person.

    ” In 2018–19, tourism brought in $1.6 billion for Uganda, contributing 7.7 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employing at least 667,000 people,” Iyorah said.

    Iyorah quoted the CEO of wild Africa Fund, Peter Knights, as saying
    “If wildlife can be successfully protected in Nigeria it can become a major driver of increased tourism and jobs.

    Iyorah said that Wild Africa Fund had launched a month-long public awareness campaign, using radio, TV, newspapers, billboards, and social media to inform people about the threats facing the Cross River gorillas and to amplify laws and anti-poaching measures protecting them.

    He added that the campaign would feature messages from top celebrity ambassadors, including Davido, Laycon, Emanuella, and Alex Iwobi, and short documentaries highlighting ongoing efforts to protect gorillas and their habitat.

  • Otu signs €2.5bn private sector investments

    Otu signs €2.5bn private sector investments

    Wevole Ezin, Calabar

    Cross River State governor, Senator Bassey Otu, has signed foreign direct investment of over €2.5bn in the state.

    The pacts are part of the first set of private sector investors being attracted to the state.

    The private sector investments are; €1.2bn urban waste management, €700m Calabar water treatment, management, and recirculation, as well as the €20m intra-city public Tltransportation using Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) enabled vehicles.

    Others are N10bn ICT skills development hub in Obanliku and N500m cassava cultivation and processing in Odukpani.

    Speaking after the sign-on ceremony, State Policy Advisory Council (SPAC) Chairman, High Chief Eyo Etim Nyong, assured the investors of the readiness of the present administration to provide conducive environment for investment.

    He appealed for a greater percentage of employment opportunities to Cross-Riverians, adding that as corporate organizations, they owe the state some corporate social responsibilities to contribute to other social services.

    Nyong remarked that SPAC, as part of its functions, would continue to render advise on all projects, policies and programs aimed at impacting tremendously on the citizenry in line with the ‘people first,’ mantra of the Otu-led administration.

    The sign-on ceremony for the various investment portfolios took place at the office of the Secretary to the Cross River State Government, Prof Anthony Owan-Enoh, in Calabar.

    In a related development, the Council also signed a memorandum of understanding with an investment consulting group, Zedo Haytch Group, from the United Arab Emirates to market the states’ investment opportunities in the Middle East.

  • How rubber tapping can generate N200bn annually – NARPPMAN chairman

    How rubber tapping can generate N200bn annually – NARPPMAN chairman

    Mr Umo Inameti, the Chairman of Natural Rubber Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria, NARPMAN, in Cross River State, has disclosed that natural rubber can generate as much as N200 billion every year for the state if given the desired attention.

    According to Inamenti, states and federal government should give deserved attention to rubber in order to bolster the economy and reduce unemployment.

    Inameti stressed the importance of rubber and how it can be explored to the country’s advantage.

    Addressing the Commissioner for Commissioner for Crops and Irrigation Development, Johnson Ebokpo, in his office in Calabar, he said: “If we are able to do 50,000 hectares in the next few years, we will drastically reduce rural-urban migration and we will be making about N200 billion direct income to our primary industries annually, not to talk of the by-products.”

    He said since the oil boom, the state does not give prime attention anymore to rubber which used to be its mainstay years ago.

    “Cross River depended heavily on rubber but presently, the state does not have up to 10,000 hectares of prime producing rubber due to the impact of the oil boom”, Inameti said.

    He appealed that rubber should be added in the state’s 2024 budget, praying further that government should come out with a policy document to develop the commodity by making available, at least 100,000 hectares of land for rubber cultivation.

    Also speaking on the importance of rubber, National Vice President South-South of NARPMAN, Mr Usen Umoh, called for development of rubber in the state.

    He reminded the commissioner of the promise of the state government to establish 50,000 hectares each for rubber, cocoa and oil palm, adding that if that was done, Cross River would be on its way to economic growth.

     

  • Cross River Govt. hails Tinubu’s prompt response to NDDC slot agitation

    Cross River Govt. hails Tinubu’s prompt response to NDDC slot agitation

    Gov. Bassey Otu of Cross River has commended President Bola Tinubu for acting decisively on the agitation over the state’s nominee for the Niger Delta Development Commission, (NDDC).

    The governor gave the commendation in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Emmanuel Ogbeche and made available to newsmen in Calabar on Saturday.

    The state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), led by is Chairman,  Mr Alphonsus Eba, had protested against the earlier nomination of Asu Okang as the representative of Cross River on the board of the NDDC.

    The chairman had alleged that the nominee was a member of the opposition party in the state, PDP.

    Alphonsus had threatened to occupy the Presidential Palace  until the decision was reversed in favour of those who worked for the party during the general elections.

    However, Okang’s nomination was replaced in favour of Mr Orok Duke on Friday by the president.

    The Cross River governor said the president had shown he was a listening person with his prompt response over the agitation.

    “I wish to graciously thank Mr. President for acting timely and decisively in correcting what I believe was not a deliberate anomaly in the nomination of a non-member of our great party into the board.

    “The swiftness in which the matter that had agitated millions of our party faithful, not just in Cross River, but across the country, was addressed, demonstrates that we have a listening president.

    “He is indeed someone who is prepared to respond to the yearning and aspirations of not just APC members, but Nigerians in general,” he stated.

    Otu said that the president’s action  showed that there was indeed renewed hope in the state and country at large.

    He urged Nigerians to continue to give their support to the president’s policies and programmes aimed at boosting the economic fortunes of all citizens.

    The governor also commended  members of the party in the state for being steadfast.

    He called on them to be patient with his administration, as he remained committed to his People’s First Agenda of placing the state among those up in the development index.

  • NMA suspends strike, gives C/River govt. 2 weeks to rescue member

    NMA suspends strike, gives C/River govt. 2 weeks to rescue member

    The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Cross River chapter, has suspended its strike embarked upon on July 16, after the abduction of one of its members, Prof. Ekanem Ephraim.

    This was disclosed by Dr. Felix Archibong, Chairman of NMA chapter after an emergency general meeting by the association on Saturday in Calabar.

    Archibong said that they gave the state government two weeks to rescue their colleague after which they would meet again to review the actions of government, to determine the next line of action.

    “Following a letter of appeal from Gov. Bassey Otu, advice of the national president of the association and for the sake of many of the citizens who are suffering, we have suspended the strike to give government time to rescue our member.

    “This action has been carried out despite the fact that our member has not been released; however, if any of our member is kidnapped again, we will go back to strike.

    “We are appealing to security agents to step up and maintain the momentum that has been established in the last few weeks, which has reduced cases of kidnapping in the state,” he said.

    Speaking further, the chairman said the association prayed that the abducted doctor was returned alive but if the opposite happened, there should be modalities by the government for necessary closure of the matter.

    He said this would be to allow the family to mourn the deceased and for the government to do the necessary thing for those she had left behind.

    He called on members of the  public with valuable information that would lead to the rescue of the abducted neurologist to come forward as the governor had placed a bounty of N5 million on the kidnappers.

    Prof. Ekanem Ephraim, a Neurologist with the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), was abducted on July 13 from her residence in Calabar by kidnappers who pretended to be patients.

  • “Enough is enough”, Gov. Otu reads riot act to kidnappers in C’ River

    “Enough is enough”, Gov. Otu reads riot act to kidnappers in C’ River

    Gov. Bassey Otu of Cross River, on Wednesday, read the riot act to criminal elements, saying “Enough is Enough” in an effort to stop the incessant kidnapping cases in the state.

    Otu made the call in Calabar after the swearing-in of 31 Commissioners in the state.

    The governor who directed law enforcement agents to arrest and prosecute all criminal elements in line with extant laws of the state, announced a reward for any useful information that will curb kidnapping in the state.

    He said in their quest for illicit wealth, criminals have resorted to kidnapping and crimes that are alien to the culture and people of the state, showing no love, sympathy or respect for human lives.

    “I have directed all security agencies to employ all resources at their disposal to ensure that this menace is stopped forthwith, and all hostages freed and reunited with their families.

    “It is rather sad that instead of keying into the new administration’s development strategy in a way of amnesty, few criminal elements have resorted to making income while holding a gun on our head.

    “These criminals have suddenly made our once peaceful state a pariah for tourists, investors, and even the ordinary people, we must put an end to this inhuman treatment by criminal elements.

    “Let me state unequivocally that enough is enough, this must stop not tomorrow but today; my administration is ready to enforce the law to the letter in order to bring criminal activities to an end,” Otu stated

    Speaking further, the governor affirmed that the security architecture of the state was now better positioned and would henceforth be ruthless with criminal elements in a bid to reclaim the age-long peaceful Cross River.

    He said while they worked for the return of the days of economic boom, residents should not allow this little period of sacrifice to push them into criminality.

    He said they were working tirelessly to make sure that even though times are hard, with their discussions with stakeholders, palliatives could be provided to alleviate sufferings occasioned by subsidy removal.

    It would be recalled that on Thursday, July 13, Prof. Ekanem Ephraim, a Neurologist with the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, was abducted.
    While Ephraim is yet to be released, doctors in the state have withdrawn their services.