by crossriverwatch admin
Hon Gabriel Eddy, two time member of the Cross River State House of Assembly and immediate past member of the House of Representatives representing Ogoja/Yala Federal Constituency is in dire times, CrossRiverWatch can confirm authoritatively.
Hon Eddy who rose from being a councilor in Ogoja to become a two time member of the Cross River State House of Assembly where he became the Speaker, was rewarded with the Federal House of Reps slot for impeaching Mr. John Okpa, the erstwhile deputy governor of the state who fell out with Mr. Donald Etim Duke, the governor of the state at the time.
During his stay in power, Hon Eddy succeeded in erecting a building along Mayne Avenue/Palm Street given to him by Mr. Duke as part of the reward for impeaching Okpa which he turned into a hotel which he named Terari.
However, after operating for five years, unfavorable business climate has forced him to partition the two storey edifice to residential apartments.
He told CrossRiverWatch that he was forced to change the place owing to the state of things in the state. “I was paying taxes to over thirteen organizations and at the end of the month NEPA will come with electricity bills whether there was electricity or not and I had to pay salaries, maintain the place, so I could not continue with the hospitality services the place was offering”.
He said the place was often blackmailed as being located in Calabar South where there are a preponderance of secret cult groups and criminals who make lodging in hotels in the area a risk which consequently keeping guests away from patronizing hotels in the area. “Last year Bayelsa State had a function in Calabar and lodged their participants in my hotel but when they got to the venue of the function, one commissioner asked them what they were doing in Calabar South and the next day, nine guests left the place”.
According to Hon. Eddy, the Imoke government inherited the tourism concept and has not been driving it appropriately which has made many hotels shut down. “Many hotels have closed in the state because of low patronage, even the so called Carnival attracts guests into the city for just a few days and that in itself cannot sustain a vibrant economy”.
He said when the place was functioning as a hotel, it was operating at a deficit but now “I can tell you that I have made over 3 million naira from rents and the only thing I pay is tenement rate while the tenants pay the electricity bill, security man and someone to clean the place”.
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