National Museum: A Treasure On The Bank Of The Calabar River

The Old Residency Museum

Cross River State is known for its tourism potential and the state’s ability to pull crowds to its capital city of Calabar during its widely celebrated annual Carnival Calabar held during the yuletide and tagged “Africa’s Biggest Street Party”.
When visitors come to town, they go for sightseeing in some of the most beautiful tourist attractions the country has to offer in the state; from the Tinapa Business Resort, to the Marina Resort, Drill Ranch and the Calabar Old Residency Museum amongst others which is of particular interest due to its uniqueness.
The Old Residency Museum, which was originally known as the Government House is a prefabricated structure of Scandinavian red pine wood shipped from Britain in 1884 on the instruction of Consul Edward Hewett and erected in Old Calabar to accommodate the early British Administration.
The building, a stone throw from where the Nigerian Government had housed Liberian Warlord Charles Taylor, a walk from the presidential Lodge had itself housed the prison where Oba Ovonramwem of Benin was kept in 1897 after his kingdom was invaded. A tale, renowned Nollywood producer Lancelot Imasuen tried to tell in his film, “Invasion 1897”.
“It was here that the old British colonial administration operated from. The building was a Mecca of a sort (sic), as it was a wonder to behold and one of the only such building in British West Africa” says Mrs. Anna Effiom ,Curator of the Museum.

Mrs Anna Effiom, Curator ofthe Old Residency Museum

The building which served as both the residence and administrative headquarters of the colonial government is one of the only few history museums in Nigeria and hosts some of the most preserved artefacts and documents dating back to pre-colonial period.
“Because this is a history museum, different from the Slave Museum in Marina Resort, War Museum in Umuahia, the National Museum of Colonial history in Aba it has some of the best and most preserved historical collections in the country” says Mrs. Evelyn Osuagwu who works in the Museum and also serves as the Treasurer of the Calabar Museum Society, A Non-Governmental Organization made up of staffs of the Museum and lovers of Museum working to promote and preserve the museum.

“The Museum exhibition tells the story of old Calabar as a cluster of native settlements on the Calabar River, early cultural, economic and missionary centre and first headquarters of British colonial administration of the Niger Coast Protectorate, Oil River Protectorate and later Southern Nigeria protectorate”.
“The Museum has a collection of ritual terracotta and other materials excavated locally by Late Professor Ekpo Eyo and dated 400AD-1500AD” writes Emmanuel E. for UyoCalyaxis.com

Universities Ranking: CRUTECH Aims For The Zenith

The Proposed CRUTECH Alumni Centre

The Alumni association of the Cross River University of Technology is in consultation with stakeholders in the education sector home and abroad to ensure the varsity tops the next rankings says the president Eyam Abeng at the body’s launching for a new centre held last week Saturday in Calabar.
Abeng posited that there was need for the body to assist the institution’s management in ensuring quality education is been delivered hence the need for the Alumni’s decision to network as well as build the maiden alumni building.
“The establishment of the alumni centre represents a vital part of the National executive council’s (christened The Consolidation Team) commitment to providing a platform for members and our future alumni” Abeng said, adding that, “I believe this alumni center will assist our alma mater become one of the very best universities in Nigeria in terms of research, technology transfer and technoppreneurship (sic)”.
He further disclosed the bill of quantity for the structure to be 400 million Naira which he said will comprise of a 500 sitter capacity auditorium, ICT centre of 50 computer systems, guest house, and indoor sport facilities among others.

Cross River Beauty Queen Calls For Vernacular Training

Magdalene Asuquo Ekpe 2016 Miss
The need for cross Riverians and Nigerians at large to speak and understand their native vernacular is important for the sustenance of the African culture says the beauty queen Asuquo Ekpe at her birthday bash last week.
Born, Magdalene Asuquo Ekpe, the 2016 Qua/Ejagham Nation beauty queen posited that communicating in borrowed languages has not really helped matters and called on all Qua and Ejagham nationals to learn how to communicate I their native vernacular.
Also, she called on the state government to bring back news in Ejagham and advised youths to humble themselves so they can accomplish their dreams.

Qua/Ejagham Nation

Garment Factory: EFCC Quiz Ayade’s Accountant General, Commerce Commissioner

Peter Akam Egba, CRS Commerce and Industry Commissioner

Information reaching CrossRiverWatch suggests that the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Peter Egba and Accountant General, Joseph Adie of Cross River State spent the chunk of the week answering the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) operatives on issues concerning the Cross River Garment Factory.
It is still unclear exactly when the duo were picked up but reliable sources informed CrossRiverWatch that Peter Egba returned on Wednesday while the Accountant General is still in the EFCC’s South-South zonal office in Port Harcourt.
The source also said their arrest was in response to a petition by several Cross Riverians who queried the set-up of the Garment Factory, one of Governor Ben Ayade’s signature projects.
It is alleged that there is no clear definition as to the ownership and financing of the project with allegations rife that the commissioner had cooked books and documents for it to pass as credible.