Tag: uyo

Night life in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, is fun with different arrays of bars and night clubs, but the fear of Ebola seems to have impacted it, writes KAZEEM IBRAHYM

Night life in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, is what most residents normally look forward to. Fun seekers usually besiege drinking bars of their choice after the close of work. They visit these bars for several reasons.

Tunde Ogbeha Avenue,  a bubbling neighbourhood in Uyo, is named Maitama, just like the Maitama district in Abuja, due to its popularity among the fun lovers.

The area, which is located in “C Line”, Ewet Housing Estate, is an eyebrow area, housing most of the government officials and politicians in the state. The area also has a night club (Wimpy Bar) that operates on a daily basis. There is also Millionaires Club for the fun lovers. Fun seekers normally look forward to days like Wednesday and Friday for them to groove at the club.

If you are the type that prefers noodles and fish barbecue, Tunde Ogbeha Avenue is the right place for you to be at night, as you could do so to your satisfaction, especially now that people prefer to eat barbecue fish instead of bush meat because of the scare of Ebola virus.

Alwins Mike Akpan, the Managing Director and CEO of Eden Garden Resorts located at Afaha Oku, Uyo Village Road, is a sad man following the discovery of Ebola virus that scares people away from eating bush meat.

More than 60 per cent of the sales of Akpan come from bush meat sales because customers in their hundreds visit his resorts to eat varieties of bush meats.

When The Nation visited Eden Garden Resortson Monday, the once bubbling and lively place was empty while few customers were seen only drinking beer.

Narrating how the scare of Ebola Virus has affected his business and decreased the patronage of people in his resorts, Akpan said sales from bush meat sales were nothing to write home about ever since the discovery of the dreaded virus called Ebola.

According to him, his daily sales from bush meat have reduced from N40, 000 to N1, 500.

He said: “The Ebola Virus has affected the patronage here a great deal. We are not selling again because of the fear of Ebola virus.

“As you can see, this place is empty. Just yesterday we sold Bush meat N1, 500 something that we normally sell up to N40, 000 in a day. The Ebola virus is affecting my business.”

Tunde Ogbeha Avenue has over the years become attractive place for prostitutes seeking to make brisk business. The prostitutes move about in skimpy wears in search of men. The prostitutes, mostly teenagers have always blamed the bad economy coupled with lack of unemployment for choosing prostitution as a venture. They are mostly from neighbouring states of Abia, Imo, Enugu and Anambra.

Activities of some of these prostitutes have been curtailed with the arrest of some of them by the security agencies following Government House order. According to findings, most of the prostitutes now prefer to hang out in a bar while they transact their business with men under the guise of having some drinks after which they relocate to any hotels of their choices.

Other bubbling night clubs in Uyo are Magnum night club; play terrace; cephas place and others. If you are the type that prefers class play terrace and Magnum night clubs are the right place for you.

Night life in Uyo is interesting according to Joseph Bassey, who is a student of University of Uyo. He explains that he always look forward to Wednesday and Friday. Asked why, Bassey says with his meagre pocket money, he could go to club with his girlfriend.

He says some of the drinks particularly beer with the exception of spirit and wine are sold at flat rate. Just the same way you get it at a local bar off club. His words: “What I normally do on a Wednesday night is to drink three bottles of Star beer outside before going to the club. With that, I will be able to dance well and forget my sorrow.”

To Aniefiok Ita, he says he normally hang out at Emila bar after the close of work from the State Secretariat. The choice of the bar according to Ita is that is closer to his house. He says atimes, he would just go to the house to register his presence from work after which he would return to the bar.

“With N500, you could eat chicken and drink a bottle of Guinness Stout,” says Ita.

Even as most workers complain of lack of money, The Nation observes that beer parlour business is a lucrative venture in Uyo because the number of beer parlours keeps increasing on a daily basis. One of the Guinness Van salesman, who preferred anonymity, told our correspondent that he supplies about 300 crates of Guinness stout, harp and other products to his customers daily.

His words: “Akwa Ibom is a fertile land for beer business. From observation, the indigenes prefer beer to spirit. You can even see it from the table here, people are drinking beer and not spirit.”

A customer at one of the bars in Uyo told The Nation that an average Akwa Ibom man likes enjoyment no matter his status in the society. He explains that nothing is really happening as far as night life in Uyo when you compare same to Cross River and Rivers states.

The source says even most people prefer to work here in Akwa Ibom and go to Calabar to spend the money because according to them, Cross River is more secured than Akwa Ibom State.

Hardly can one move in a street in Uyo without noticing at least two to three drinking joints popularly known as beer parlours where the residents hangout at night. Kenneth, the owner of extreme bar along Nwaniba road, said night life in Uyo is interesting. He explains that now citizens can move anytime of the day with their two eyes closed due to the heavy security arrangement provided by the government of Godswill Akpabio.

In Kenneth’s shop, people of all ages were seen eating roasted Ukon (Plantain) and Unen (Chicken). He explains that as from 4pm when people close from work, they branch at the bar to either eat roasted Ukon (Plantain) and Unen (Chicken) or drink beer, spirit or wine. Kenneth says he has no closing time as sometimes he closes late like 2am depending on the volume of customers.

Even the situation is not different at Lakunta bar on Oron Road, Life Power bar on Two Lane, Amazon on House of Assembly Road and Castrophy Bar at Ewet Housing Estate. For instance, in Amazon Bar and Castrophy bars, some of the customers  go there because of the fish barbecue and the serene environment. Also in Lakunta Bar, where fun lovers prefer the assorted Kpomo/Kanda  mixed with stew source. In all, customers visit bar of their choices for different reasons.