I like to thank God and rejoice with His Excellency Professor Benedict Ayade on his thanksgiving ceremony which took place in his village, Kakum, in Obudu Local Government Area.
The Bible admonishes us to rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn. As I follower of Christ and his teachings, I want to thank God for giving Cross River State a Governor who empathasizes and shares in the pains of the suffering poor of our state.
I’ve for some time now taken my attention off Cross River State politics for obvious reasons – this is a government I consider myself a part of and as such I see all the State Actors in Cross River as being capable of bringing the dividends of democracy to our people for now, and until such a time when I’ll be proven wrong will I turn my searchlight back into the state.
Your Excellency Sir, since you’re in Obudu, I want to assume that you and your entourage slept at the Ranch. Please take a tour of the facilities at the Resort and ascertain firsthand how most of those first class equipment Donald Duke put in place are in partial disrepair.
During my last visit to the Ranch, I realised that it is possible to come to the Ranch, sleep in the rooms and not know exactly how badly things are. In my usual manner, while on a tour of the gym facility especially inside the gym store room, there were close to 20 bicycles with minor faults which could be repaired but were left there to waste away.
I also asked the staff there a few questions and realised that they haven’t been paid for many months and had serious issues between the Union and the Management. Some names were mentioned as those behind their predicament.
One Mr. Tony Bassey and Dr. Amake of Tourism Bureau were pointedly fingered as those misappropriating the funds generated by the resort. Hence, it’s poor management.
This is not my conclusion. I present the facts as my investigations revealed. Please you make your own private enquiries and seek to resolve these issues.
The power situation there is made worse because of these disagreements to the point where even on a day where top management team of International Red Cross Society and members of Cross River State and Plateau State House of Assembly had their retreat there, the power situation was very embarrassing.
While at the Conference Centre, I also noticed that the door and entrance to the venue and some of the facilities there need urgent attention. We cannot afford to put in so much money on that facility and then not make concerted efforts at maintaining them.
Also, Your Excellency, I think you may need to change the Management Team of the Ranch to a better and more proactive management with a new vision as hardly do people hear about the resort any more, both within and outside the state.
The Obudu Mountain Resort is one of a kind in Africa with the sort of weather that one can only find abroad; and has the potential if properly managed, to attract both local and international guests.
You’re an entrepreneur in the hospitality industry and should know this truth that needs no belaboring concerning this sector.
For instance, the publicity is at an all time low and even the few advert materials like flyers issued at the Ranch Resort, projects the image of African Sun, Managers of Obudu Mountain Resort and not the Ranch itself. This is a very serious issue and I think it is unacceptable!
African Sun has her website in all promotional materials in the Ranch with not even a website dedicated to the Obudu Mountain Resort at this age of human civilisation. The only website that’s on every material at the resort is www.africansunhotels.com.
Why can’t we have www.obudumountainresort.com, which would display the beautiful scenery, plains and mountains, conference centre, gym, lawn tennis, restaurants and bar, warm rooms and room service on the website?
It should become as a matter of policy, that all government events be held at the Ranch and nowhere else as a way to bring life back into the resort and encourage other State Governments, MDAs, and Private Sector Organisations to resume their patronage of the facility that is already wasting away.
While I do not want to bore you with too many problems on a day as this; I wish to congratulate you for putting God in your agenda and recognising His supremacy over all things. Until I come your way again.
Leave feedback about this