By Nsan Ndoma-Neji, Calabar
About N1 billion is to be expended on the construction of tourists attraction centre in Abia community of Etung Local Government Area of Cross River State by an international non-governmental organisation, NGO, Black Diamond African Beauty Restoration Foundation, to facilitate development in the community.
The Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director, CEO/MD of the foundation, Rev. Agbor Martins Blackdiamond, stated this in Abia community – his home town – during his home coming reception ceremony organised by the traditional rulers/elders-in-council of the community, to honour him on Saturday.
The ceremony featured a variety of traditional dances and award of traditional title of “Ntufam” on Rev. Blackdiamond by traditional rulers, led by the paramount ruler of Etung Local Government Area, His Royal Majesty, Ntufam Oru Ojong.
In his remarks shortly after the community donated a parcel of land to be used for the establishment of the proposed tourists attraction centre, he stated that the project would take off before the end of the year, stressing that upon completion, tourists from around the globe would be attracted to the community, a development he said can help in turning around the fortunes of the community.
Blackdiamond said, “We are erecting a traditional palace that will also serve as a tourist attraction to the area. Within the same space, there will be very many other structures like a cultural center, a health center, and a number of facilities that would attract development to the community.
“We are hoping to kickoff the project before the end of the year. We are looking at something close to N1 billion.”
When asked how he intends to go about the huge amount for execution of the capital project, the CEO said, “We have collaborators, so we don’t sit down and fold our hands.
“This is my community, my home town and it’s in Cross River State. But the most important thing is that the people of Abia community are most neglected; it’s like Etung Local Government is not part of Nigeria any longer. There’s no access road, no light, no telecommunication services, these has pushed it’s inhabitants out of the place.”
Expressing joy over the pledge made by the foundation regarding the construction of a tourists attraction centre, despite the absence of basic amenities that ought to have been provided by the state and Federal Governments in the community, Abia Town Council chairman, Mr. Matthew Agbor, decried what he described as outright neglect of the community by government.
He stressed that with the centre, development would definitely visit the community.
He enumerated social amenities lacking in the community to include: lack of potable drinking water, access road, telephone network due to absence of telecommunication mast and absence of electricity that would have facilitated development to the area.
The town council chairman stressed that effort made in the past by some private individuals to attract telecommunication mast had failed.
He said, “Abia people lack good road network. We struggle through community efforts to maintain the roads leading to our community.
“The people of Abia do not have a good community hall, though much attempt has been made towards erecting an ultra-modern town hall, but due to some immediate challenges that arose as at the time it has always failed.”
