Category: Niger Delta

The candidate of the Young Progressives Congress (YPP) for the Abi State Constituency in the Cross River House of Assembly, Lynne Oti, has said more women in politics would enhance the development of the state.

Oti, from Usumutong in Abi, who spoke with The Nation in Calabar on her ambition, said her entry represents a new dawn in the politics of the state.

The young aspiring lawmaker said women had shown they can make positive impact and should be given the opportunity to prove themselves.

She also urged women to rise up to take their place in society so as to also contribute positively to its development.

“Women are creating impact the world over and should be given a chance to also do so in our clime. They should rise up and take their place and not just be relegated to the kitchen or farm. Women should also be in the forefront of governance as they are part of the society and whatever policy of government is enforced affects them too. They should also make their contributions.

“I am poised to serve my people of Abi, Cross River and Nigeria at large. I intends to change the narrative of women relegation to the background to a full time participation in various fields of endeavour in the society.

“Women are the foundation of a good society. The woman is the pillar for future generations and they deserve to be given preference to participate and rule amongst men for there are more familiar with the suffering of society,” she said.

Pupils from primary and secondary schools in Bayelsa recently demonstrated their academic prowess in dictations. The pupils from private and public secondary schools were in fact in their best elements as they competed to spell difficult long and short words.

Ovuru Nadou from New Total Child Academy is the most favoured beneficiary of the competition. He won a scholarship from one of the major sponsors of the event, Robert Sunday Iworiso Foundation (RSIF). The foundation placed him on a university scholarship.

Ese Marvellous from Samara Montesorri school came second. He won N50,000 donated by a House of Assembly member, Tonye Isenah. Also, Njoagwu Caleb from Community Boys Secondary School Agudama, who came third got N20,000. Others got prizes for best diction and best behaved.

On the primary school category, little eight-year-old Elroy Ebifie Okara of Myrtle International School Biogbolo won a laptop. Miss Oyinbrakemi Michael-Olomu from the school won N50,000 donated by Tonye Isenah while Umeononuju Ikechukwu, a pupil of New Total Child Nursery and Primary School won N20,000.

But Master Marlus Moses gave a good account of himself. The pupil, who came from the Community Primary Schoo, Opolo -Epie, however, took the fourth position. It was the first time a child from a public school came such far in the primary category of the competition.

The Convener, Ebidenyefa Tarila Nikade, was also full of smiles. She made the Spelling Bee Bayelsa, 2018 happen. She provided the spelling opportunity that attracted empowerment to the children. Nikade, a poet, writer and educationalist organised the spelling bee competition that brought students from various schools together. The event brought back healthy competitions among students.

Robert Sunday Iworiso Foundation established in memory of the late father to the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, was part of the programme. The foundation provided significant financial backing to enable the students engage in the spelling challenge.

Nikade said when she started the competition, it was focused on private schools but that the programme was later expanded to include public schools. She said despite the difficulties in organizing the event, she had been consistent with it adding that the competition progressed to a point where public school pupils emerged winners.

She said: “The major motivation is to bring back the spelling culture. In our days, dictation was compulsory. You cannot do without written communication and then when you write, it is expedient that you write it right.

“That’s why we want to introduce these children to correct spellings, correct pronunciations, according to the British standards especially and also to enable them develop the spirit of sportsmanship.

“You know life is not all about winning, it’s a competition. If you win thank God for you, if you lose or misspell a word it doesn’t mean that you are an outright failure. So, it helps boost their self-esteem and their confidence over the years. When they come you will see that they improve on their level of confidence, and they increase the milestones they achieve in the competition”.

She said the concluded event was a spillover from the 2018 edition. She said the flood that ravaged Bayelsa in 2018 caused the spillover. According to her the 2019 edition of the competition will commence in October.

The poet expressed happiness that schools from rural and coastal communities took part in the programme. “So we are spreading our tentacles and gradually it will become statewide, and something regional”, she said.

She poured encomiums on the Sunday Robert Iworiso Foundation and Iworiso-Markson for bankrolling most of the expenses. “Thank God for the Commisioner for Information, Daniel Iworiso Markson, and his father’s foundation Robert Sunday Iworiso Foundation. They took up a huge chunk of the sponsorship, that’s why the event is this elaborate and glamourous.

“We have decided to infuse funds into it, to make education fun. Life is not all about singing and dancing. Education is the passport to the future, whether we like it or not. Even if you have a skill, be an educated skilled worker, that way you become innovative, and your growth process will be rapid,” she said.

On her part the Chief Executive Officer (RSIF) Miss Timi Ovuru, described the foundation as a philanthropic organisation established to support education, literacy and skilled programmes.

She said: “Last year the foundation had a debate programme where the winners got scholarships and cash prizes respectively. We have gathered here again for the spelling bee Bayelsa, and the Robert Sunday Iworiso Foundation, is offering another round of cash scholarships and cash prizes to the winners.

“The foundation is here to encourage, support inspire people, children and youths of Bayelsa state, to invest their time in self-development because the truth is without education, we can’t go anywhere. The world is growing.”

Delivering the message of Iworiso-Markson to the children, Seiyefa Udaka said: “The information commissioner said I should tell you people as children and students that the youths are the future leaders and you have to prepare yourselves very well, to occupy your future leader positions.

“Education is one very important thing that everybody needs it. Without education, you cannot be a commissioner. Without education the Governor cannot be a Governor, without education, a teacher cannot be a teacher without education, Bill Gates cannot be a wealthy man in the world.

“So you can see the importance of education, because if you are not educated, you cannot be anywhere and if not for education, I would have not also left my home, to be here but education projected us, pushed us to this level and that is why we as parents encouraging you that you must be more and better educated than us as parents. And of course every good parent, must tell his children, and pray to God for his children to be better than the parents that are our prayer for his you.”

She told the children that out of love for education, the state Governor, Seriake Dickson, introduced free education in schools. She said Dickson also built special boarding schools in the state and appealed to the children to take the advantage of opportunities provided by the governor in the educational sector.

She said: “So it is very important that you must take your education very seriously, and we also advise our parents that our children must be properly educated, and encourage them to go to school.

“That is why the government of Bayelsa state, in this restoration government has put in place, so many educational facilities in ensuring that that our children and our state, will never lag behind in education in our country.”

Emmanuel Ironbar is just 12. But he lives on the street of Calabar, the Cross River State capital. His stepfather, who lives in Ikot Edem Ndarake in Akpabuyo Local Government Area of Cross River State, threwn him out of the house on suspicion of being a ‘witch’.

Ndarake, who is one of the hundreds of children on Calabar streets, told  Niger Delta Report that his stepfather, a deacon, was told by his pastor that he was a witch responsible for his bad luck.

“They used to maltreat me, and then they threw me out of the house. They didn’t allow me to enter the house to sleep because my stepfather is a deacon and one pastor says I am winch meanwhile I am not a winch. My stepfather got angry and threw me out of the house. I used to sleep in somebody’s church. Before one Uncle Christopher came and saw me and gave me food before they brought me here.”

Emmanuel has hopes of completing his education and dreams of taking up baking as career. “I want to be a baker. I want to bake cake,” he said.

Ten-year-old Blessing Timothy’s story is not so different from Emmanuel’s. The little girl, due to maltreatment by her family, also found herself on the streets, without any care. She also has hopes of a normal family and going back to school and becoming a medical doctor.

For 16-year-old Augustine Peter, he had to drop out of school in Primary Two and has been living on the streets since then.

“Since I was small, I wanted to go to school. I stopped in Primary 2. If I see somebody that would support me to go into school, I would like it. I want to be an engineer. But for now would not mind doing a job like a barber to sustain myself. I stopped going to school when I was five. My mother died when I was eight years. So since then I have been living on the streets and picking iron, sometimes people would see me and call me a thief. When I go to a place, the people would pursue me saying I am the one who steals, but I do not steal. I want to learn a hand work now. I would like to go back to school. If I see someone to support me fine, but I need to learn hand work to survive,” Augustine narrated.

Also 16-year-old Felix James, from Akpabyuo Local Government Area, has not been to school since he finished primary school.

“I did not write common entrance because my father married a new wife and said he does not have money to put me in school. From there I came to the street, as there was nobody to take care of me. So I was taking care of myself on the streets. I want to go back to school. I would like to be a businessman like Dangote. I also sing. In fact I performed here today. If someone comes to help me promote my songs, I would be happy. So people would hear my song. They should hear our cry,” he said.

The above children are just four out of 52 taken off the streets into a 21-Day Fun Camp with the aim of properly reintegrating them into society, not just by taking them into institutionalised homes, but into a proper family setting, so they can grow up like their peers in their homes. The rest have similar experiences and it is quite moving to listen to the sad tales of these children who have been thrown in the streets and who wish to be properly integrated into society just like other children. Hundreds of children or more still roam the streets of Calabar with even sadder stories.

This effort is that of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), working with Society For Youth Development and Rescue Initiative (SYDRI), Basic Right Counsel Initiative (BRCI) and Cross River State Ministry of Sustainable Development and Social Welfare to implement a project that is aimed at re-integrating street children to their homes and to foster homes through Camp Activities in order to prepare them for reunification with their blood relatives or foster careers.

 

Children living on the streets have been a problem in the Cross River State capital  for a long time and despite efforts by government and other organisations in the past, the challenge has persisted.

This time, this effort, which is a pilot of a new method to deal with the programme intends not just to pursue the conventional method of putting them in homes, but bringing them in a proper atmosphere to enable them reach their potentials.

The Chief of UNICEF Field Office, Enugu, Dr Ibrahim Conteh, said children are a blessing from God and urged the community to take them.

“Government has a responsibility, the welfare of everybody in a nation is the direct responsibility of government because they are the right holders and these children that you see here today have the right to claim their rights from those who hold the right, which is the government in this case.

“This is very interesting. It is a new thing for us as UNICEF seeing an initiative from civil society, from government to think of supporting children who have been abandoned and neglected because of all kinds of cultural and traditional beliefs that this children are not supposed to be part of a normal home and society. We always say where difficulties prevail, there are all kinds of assertions and it is very touching for people to pray for God to give them and a child and when that child comes, you classify such child as not being a normal child and that is unfortunate.

“UNICEF as you all know is the custodian of the convention on the right of the child and Nigeria is a signatory to that convention. For us as an organization, we look at the child as a whole, not only the education aspect of the child or the nutrition aspect of the child, but we look at the child in totality. Anybody who infringes on the rights of the child we are interested in sometimes has some legal processes to prosecute.

“The governor has the responsibility of ensuring that these children are not left behind. Children are the leaders of tomorrow. If Nigeria is going to move from where it is now to the next level, it is the human capital and investment in these children that would make that happen. We all know today, in Africa particularly, every country in Africa is looking up to Nigeria. Development in Nigerian means development in Africa and the entire world. And who are responsible to be able to move Nigeria forward in the future, it is these children.

“There is so much we can learn and do in making these children contribute to the development of the country. If we leave these children behind, who knows any of them would be in the future. They have all the potentials to be like any other person. We need to invest a bit more like we have done now, bringing all these ones together to find a way of letting these children not stay in the streets and providing support to make them perfect human beings that would contribute meaningfully to the society.

“In the past, we UNICEF used to help the government in institutionalising these children through vulnerable centres, but these days we also want to see that the government takes the lead in those processes. So a lot of times in many countries, they do not have institutions anymore. What they do have are caregivers, foster parents, who will take up these children and provide that homely support. Children tend to become a little bit different from a normal child when they go through certain difficulties in the home.

“Children are not witches. I am appealing to all to come together and work very hard to support these children because I know the future of Nigeria is in these children. Let us provide the basic support for them to realise their rights and meet their potentials,” he said.

Child Protection Specialist UNICEF, Enugu Field Office, Mrs Nkiru Maduechesi, said the children, who are marginalised children, are supposed to be in the family setting but they are not.

“They are vulnerable. But looking at them today, you can see how talented, creative and intelligent they are. They speak good English, some of them dropped out as low as Primary three. Some have never been to secondary school. The oldest here is 17, the youngest here is about five. It cut across both sexes,” she said.

 

She said they did the mapping for the children in Calabar, and arrived at the ones they got because due to the ranking, they were the ones that can be easily reintegrated, because they met certain profile criteria.

“They still know where they are from. They know their relatives, they know one or two. They know where they are. Their stories don’t change. So using this profile, we think that the NGOs that decided to do this approached us and we are thinking of a full-fledged alternative care programme. So we say this pilot can happen because from here we can learn lessons.

“We can go through uncharted waters for family based and reintegration of these children because before now, what some these NGOs do is to institutionalise these children and the state has gone through a circle before that some of these children actually were let out from the institutions, so it is not really good. So within these three weeks, we hope that NGO, the caregivers, the Ministries of Sustainable Development and Women Development, will know these children better and bond with them and acquire their trust and then the process of, of course the process of reintegrating them has long started.

“Some of them, we have found their families. We are in communication. It takes a lot of peace building, mediation, counseling, both for the parents and for the children, and then for those that we cannot find the parents, some people in Cross River State have opted on their own to take one to their homes, but under the supervision of the social workers, so at least you don’t abuse them the second time in these homes. So we hope that also they will have the requisite training and assessment, so they can be properly reintegrated.

“You have seen some of them that have danced, they are more like professional dancers. There is also the process of linking them up with professional dancing or international artistes. That is what we intend to do, because these children are talented. Coming from this disadvantaged group, we hope that they would touch the minds of these already gifted and rich artistes to help them to bring them up again. And so we solicit the media cooperation in telling these stories in not just once or twice but being partners with these NGOs and Cross River State government to make sure that marginalizing children or stigmatizing them does not become a way of life, and that the law is respected. Talking about the Childs Right Law of the State 2009.

“This pilot is like to tell the NGOs and Government that this is doable. And with this they would know how much it would cost them. They can quantify the challenges. They can pick some lessons that would help us. Ultimately, we want Cross River State a model state. A model state means a state, where issues of child violation will not be seen, or even when it is seen it would be very minimal and it would also receive timely and quality response,” she said.

Chairperson, Child Protection Network Cross River State, who also is a Volunteer and Principal Counsel of Basic Rights Council Initiative, James Ibor, said they were in partnership with the Ministry of Social Welfare and Sustainable Development, UNICEF and SYDRI to reintegrate vulnerable children in the community.

“We decided to camp them so we can relate with them within 21 days, understand their issues and attempt to solve those issues. While they are in camp, their time is fully booked. They are learning life skills, routine, and so far, we have been getting results. We have also intensified efforts to ensure that at the end of this programme, none of the children will go back to the streets. We would have failed if even one is not reintegrated properly,” said.

SYDRI Executive Director Dr Esther Onoyom-Ita said the effort would be a life changing one for the children.

Onoyom-Ita said they have been committed to the course of transforming the lives of vulnerable children and called for support to continue to rehabilitate and reintegrate more children to their families or foster homes, so they can be properly cared for.

The children expressed delight at the programme, saying it has given an opportunity at life and hoped it would help them achieve their potentials in life.

The years of 2016 to 2018 were for most communities in Delta State the years hoodlums, kidnappers and armed robbers held sway.

The criminals, like colossus, bestrode communities from the oil city of Warri to Kwale, through Ughelli, Kokori, Eku, Sapele, Mosoga, Jesse and Orherokpe towns. They were the lords of the underground, not necessarily of the dark, because they choose their times and their places of operations.

Residents of these communities and those passing through usually said their prayers and kept saying them until they are out of these areas. Traders closed their shops and absconded from the market places as early as 5pm, while shop owners on the streets locked-up before nightfall to avoid falling victims to the men who ruled their lives.

The tail end of 2018 and the early weeks of 2019 has brought some respite and calm to the trouble areas of the state. Hoodlums that hitherto ran riot over the areas are beating retreat with their tails behind their legs and records arrests and breakthroughs are being made.

Emeka Ode was one of the alleged lords of the underground whose days of rampage have been cut short. Like members of his gangs, in his hay days he was a ruler over the affairs of victims. Their tools were sophisticated weapons ranging from pump-action rifles, beretta pistols, locally made pistols, shotguns and AK47 rifles.

Ode was quoted by security sources as saying that they had no respect for human lives, and so did everything possible to snatch their victims and collect their ransoms. Their mercilessness and disdain for the elderly are perplexing as was their lack of empathy for babies and children.

The ages of these public enemies ranged from 18 to 22 years; they are youths that are mostly always on substances and hard, misused drugs from codeine to tramadol, SK (skunk) cocaine and any other things that give them Dutch courage and deaden their human feelings and sense of sympathy.

The victims of these reigns of terror are without ethnic, tribal or religious considerations. They were from all over the country, and even beyond. Women are yanked from the arms of their husbands; children detached, forcefully, from their mothers – even those with their mouths attached to their mothers’ nipple are not spared. Some are never seen, even after handsome ransoms are paid. Some of the victims are raped and traumatised, so much so that years after, the scar remains physically and emotionally burnished into their skins and psyches.

Respite has come for several months now, as the activities of this syndicate and their signatures of violence and impunity have ebbed and become blurry. Normalcy is gradually returning to communities, where residents hitherto slept with both eyes open.

“You could never be careful enough,” a resident of Jeddo community in Okpe Local Government Area told our reporter.

The people of these parts are picking back the pieces of their lives, as tranquility gradually returns to lands where the hoodlums are being chased away by operatives of the anti-kidnapping committee, a sub-committee of Peace and Security of Delta State House of Assembly, who work closely with other security agencies.

In the state capital, Asaba for instance, kidnapping is becoming a forgotten occurrence as the last attempt to kidnap a female politician was foiled by a crack team from the Anti-kidnapping committee. Acting on a tip-off some of the leaders of the kidnapping syndicate and vandals were swooped-on by a crack team from the surveillance squad of the Anti-kidnapping committee led by Austin Opubor, Mabiaku Omassan and Abraham Obarume.

Members of Anti-kidnapping went to the various hideouts of the hoodlusm, where they were arrested with mobile phones of the victims and other valuables.

Giving details of the arrest of some of the suspects, Opubor said, “Immediately we got report of any kidnap, we mobilised our personnel to the field because we believe that the police cannot achieve it all alone without the support of other stakeholders.”

“Making a major breakthrough in apprehending some of the suspects so far was quite tasking,” he said, adding that some suspected kidnappers have been handed over to the Delta State Police Command, Asaba for further interrogation.

He disclosed that several members of the ‘terrorist squads’ are cooling their heels in police custody. They include John Amadi, Paul Oweh, Chinedu Osho and Okoro Efe. Opubor, whom he claimed have made confessional statements confirming their roles in various kidnapping in the state as well as helping to curtail those who are still at large.

Opubor attributed the feats recorded by the committee thus far to regular policing of the cities, especially by the anti-kidnapping committee operating within and around Asaba, stressing that their regular patrol of all the streets and arrest of suspect was giving the criminals much cause for rethink and change of heart about their nefarious tendency.

“Surveillance of known black spots has also helped in nipping the activities of these criminals in the bud,” he said.

Meanwhile, the breakthrough in the fight against crime is eliciting commendations from relieved members of the public. Mr. John Ogbemi, a lawyer and resident of Kokori, disclosed that he and other residents of the town had been living in fear for years.  ”We have witnessed several years of kidnapping both at nights and broad day light”.

“They (kidnappers) have inflicted pains, sorrow, agony and tears on residents.  But recently, statistics in the community have shown that record of kidnapping and vandalisation of oil facilities has changed.  Social life, particularly night activities, has returned to the community.”

Ogbemi is not alone in appreciating the works of the committee. Mrs. Rosemary Akpofure said, “I could recall several years of insecurity in Kokori – they were years of horror and pain.  My husband Akpofure Innocent was kidnapped twice within eight months in Kokori. It was a nightmare staying in the community. “

While describing the constant patrol and crime-fighting techniques of men of the surveillance and anti-kidnapping committee in the community as “quite recommendable”, she appealed to communities and their members to continue to support the committee to achieve greater peace.

Growing confidence in the Anti-kidnapping committee is seen in the fact that more people are giving vital information to the committee to help in curbing crime.  Also, the use of informants to spy on suspected criminals and those living above their means are also yielding dividends.

Recently, in Uvwie, a middle-aged man who gave information that led to the arrest of the leader of a kidnapping syndicate was rewarded with N2 million cash.

The informant, who pleaded anonymity, said he became suspicious of the university graduate’s sudden wealth and flamboyant lifestyle.  ”My decision to alert the committee was prompted by my observation of the Delta State University graduate following his ostentatious life style without a defined job. “I felt I may not get the required protection of the police and decided to go to the committee”.

Residents of Ethiope East Local Government particularly Abraka and Eku have every cause to heave a sigh of relief as a result of improved security situation. This is because residents are giving vital information that are leading to the arrest of suspect.

The arrest of the gang leader, identified as Efe Omonemu, alleged to be a notorious criminal, followed tip-off from some of his friends.  Omonemu was arrested at a popular hotel in the university town of Abraka, following a tip-off. It was discovered that although he was rusticated from the Delta State University, Abraka several years ago for alleged cultism, he remained in the town living large without known source of income. His confession opened the way for other associates in and around the area to be caught in the net..

Also in Ughelli, a young girl (names withheld) gave information that led to the arrest of a three-man kidnapping syndicate and was rewarded with N1.5 million.  The hoodlums had already succeeded in their operation, but were apprehended at the point where they were sharing their loot in a local hotel in one of the communities.

These strategies have yielded positive results in busy highways, including Warri-Sapele-Benin expressway, where the team busted a 4-man syndicate that specialized in terrorizing visitors using the strategic East/West highway.

Law-abiding citizens of the area are hopeful that the improved security in their areas would continue through the election period and beyond.

“No doubt, this team has done very well all over Delta state, but the most important thing is for them to maintain the momentum and not allow bad element to infiltrate and deflect them from the good work they are doing for the state.”

In this concluding part of his report on what is life like in Cross River, NICHOLAS KALU looks at the people, their strengths, weaknesses and capabilities.

Coming from the background of being a civil service states, economic activities are not so much when compared to even its neigbours like Uyo in Akwa Ibom State. Despite the lull in the economy of the capital, city, it however, has a very active nightlife. The people of Calabar are often reputed for their love of enjoying life. It comes as no surprise that CALABAR is seen as an acronym for come and live and be at rest. A very common business in the city is sit-out joints serving, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, alongside various kinds of meat and fish. These are mostly patronised in the evenings.

It is not really a big city. Without traffic, Calabar can be covered in 30 minutes from one end to the other, from Anantigha, in the southernmost part to Eight Miles in the northernmost part. And there is almost never traffic in the city. The main road that leads into the city is the Murtala Mohammed Highway. Calabar experienced a rapid growth since 1999 as many more areas had been opened up in the city since then.

Mr Jerry Edor who lives in one such settlement in Ikot Effanga Mkpa, said it was a good thingng the town was expand by the Duke administration. This, he said was a sign of progress.

“There are new areas which developed in Calabar since 1999 which before now were just huge forests with all kinds of wild animals. But today they have turned to suburban settlements. The price of land in these places is so high now. Some of these areas are Satellite Town, Ekorinm, Eight Miles, and Ikot Effanga Mkpa here that we are,” Edor said.

Mr Inyang Bassey who has been in Calabar since the early 90s said, “The nature of the town is very slow in terms of growth and development. It has been very slow. They were signs that it would pick up during the days of Donald Duke. In fact it fact decayed until Donald came and started the process of rebuilding the state and the growth and expansion of the town.

Before Donald came, let us look at the infrastructure for example. How many dualised roads did we really have in Calabar Metropolis. Even the Highway was only dualized up to MCC. IBB Way, Etagbo and Mary Slessor were the only dualized street in Calabar. Outside that I don’t think there has been any else, except Imoke who took the M/M Highway from Army junction to Tinapa junction and then constructed the Goodluck Jonathan bypass.

“Donald opened up the city. Before now there were just the few major roads. Of course Donald did this to open the town and the potentials of the state which is all about leisure. Unfortunately, all that seems to be lost now. It’s in recession. Generally things are costlier here.  The cost of living of Calabar is always high. It has always been so. The cost of living is on the high side. It is a normal place where if buy things at a lower price elsewhere, be prepared to buy at a higher price in Calabar. A very typical example is that sachet water started selling for 10 naira in Calabar. Across the country, this was where it started. It used to be five naira. Talking of the housing situation, of course the house rents are in Calabar.”

Also speaking along the same line another Calabar resident Mrs Lydia Aniekan, said “Up until the administration of Mr Donald Duke, Cross River State was like a village. You could count the cars on the roads. If I remember correctly children even played football on the roads. As recently as 1999, the only dual lane road in Calabar was the Murtala Mohammed Highway that leads into the state capital. Outside this were just narrow streets, most of them not tarred and in very terrible conditions. But when Duke came, he started the dualization of the popular Marian Road, which we have today. Also bringing traffic through the state, the state witnessed a rapid growth under him, which has brought us to the level of development we have today. I only think it is unfortunate the present administration has decided to jettison tourism on the basis that you have to put business before please.”

Cost of living in the city it was observed learnt is relatively high, but investigations revealed that there are also a lot of things that are cheap in the city. Also foodstuff is cheap compared to neigbouring states. It was gathered that people come all the way down to Calabar to buy dry fish, fresh fish, crayfish, palm oil, periwinkle among others.

It was observed that most times people Calabar, for any other reason, they still come to the beach market to buy all those things in bulk and also foodstuff and take back. from other states always buys them in bulk and take back. Though cost of living is high, but things like crayfish, food and fish a re relatively cheap compared to other places. Also food-stuff particularly are relatively cheap, because the state produces a lot of food most of which are wasted due to lack of roads to evacuate them.

Madam Cordelia Ene is a woman in her 60s, whose daughter lives in another state but visits her frequently would buy all these to last her a while till she comes back.

She said, “Whenever my daughter comes into town from Uyo, she really makes use of the Calabar Beach market. “The Calabar Beach Market opens on Sunday afternoon. Monday morning. Friday morning, and Thursday afternoon. The market opens everyday but those particular days for those big fish, fry fish, crayfish. You can buy oil periwinkle and other seafood, even second hand clothes. The also the “Afang” leaves. The market opens every time, but on those days you will get fish and other things in good quantity and also cheaper. People even come down by sea from Oron in Akwa Ibom to sell on those days,” she said.

The hub of the nightlife in Calabar, is the Atekong axis of Marian. All ages and classes of people can be seen here at nights, especially during the weekends, having fun. Long ago it was the time when the town went to sleep when the sun went down. That was before the tourism drive of the Donald Duke led administration, sustained by the present Liyel Imoke led administration, changed face of the state, making it more visible on the world map. Consequently the once touted sleepy town became a hub, attracting visitors from all over the country and even beyond.

Attendant on this development was a more intense social life. Coupled with the impression that the average Calabar person loves to live life to the fullest, the city had gotten all the necessary ingredients for frolicking and relaxation.

The proliferation of hotels, drinking joints and clubs to in the past few years has stimulated an active nightlife to match the influx of people who seek a fun. It is now common sight in most part of town, especially the Marian Road axis to see such crawlers at night who are out to have a good time. Most of them, especially youths, patronize the drinking joints that litter the city that seems to sparkle at night.

Also, the night-clubs which inject so much power into a bubbling night life that is blossoming in the city. The growth of night clubs had provided a fresh avenue for most residents and visitors to unwind, drinking, dancing and socializing. Among a host of such clubs are the most prominent ones as Jaspers along Marian Road, Mayfair Lounge at the Channel View Hotels, Pinnacle Club and Base Bar.

Mr Felix Asuquo (not real name) owns and runs a popular club in town said he returned from diaspora to establish the business which he said had so much potential in the state in view of Duke government’s tourism thrust.

“Running a club in Calabar is no different from running a club in any other city, but the only difference is that the people here are not hostile. Security wise, I think security in Calabar is very good compared to other places. So that is why nightlife and clubs would thrive in Calabar because people can feel safe going out.

“We have to give credit to our state government because they introduced tourism. Encouraging people outside the state and in diaspora to come and build up the tourism sector that is why I came back as well.

“People are always coming in and out of Calabar. It is a place where people come to have fun and we give them quality fun.

Besides the Lafarge Cement Factory and some quarry companies in Akamkpa local government area and the Niger Mills Factory in Calabar, there is hardly anything going on in terms of industry.

Two universities, the University of Calabar and the Cross River University of Technology, also do much to inject life into the city. Whenever they are on vacation or on strike as they are now, the city almost becomes like a ghost town, as most businesses complain of low patronage. Also giving life to the economy of the city are the activities of Igbo businessmen who dabble into many areas, especially electronics and vehicle spare parts trading.

The city is replete with relics of history, such as colonial buildings, showing evidence of early contact with the white man. The Watt Market along Calabar Road and the Marian Market along Marian are the two main markets in the town.

Today the present administration seems to be deviating from the original tourism master plan, pursuing and industrialization agenda to make the state more economically viable as the present governor, Prof Ben Ayade, believes work has to come before pleasure.

Another resident of the state, Ekeng Effiong argued against this, “They should know that tourism is business not pleasure. Tourism is the engine of Cross River. We are talking about a sector that sustains some countries and here you are describing tourism as mere pleasure, and that other things are more important. For you to sweep it aside because you feel that it is unimportant and it is just industries that are important says a lot about your sense of judgment.

“It is said that if you are good at something you should make you money from it. So if the state has hospitality, serenity, warmness, smiles, leisure and a pristine environment, they might as well better their fortunes from it. It really beats our senses, this level of thinking.

“We all witnessed the development that came with the tourism agenda of Duke. We witnessed all that came from this new tourism style. It was working. Everyone was talking about or coming to Cross River. It was making the state the talk of the world. The results were clear. It was something that showed potential for growth, in fact, it did. Now you come in with your own style with logic that if you have to work first before you eat. That is a wrong analogy. Tourism is not playing. It is serious business. Now I am not even saying your own agenda is wrong, you know, everyone has his style to everything, but it does not invalidate the other idea. They can go side by side. They can be managed. But you come in because you want to assert yourself and you say this one is useless and the people that pursued it did not know anything, Effiong said.