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… Insists Nigeria’s 1914 Amalgamation relics are in Ikot Abasi not Zungeru
By Amos Odie
As Akwa Ibom State Government gets set to re-write its own tourism narratives, the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Sir Charles Udoh, has said the 1914 Amalgamation relics are in Ikot Abasi Local Government Ares of the state and not in Zungeru.
The commissioner said the need to re-write all contentious tourism stories of the state is geared at placing Akwa Ibom State in its rightful position as the Tourism capital of Nigeria.
Already, the state government is drumming home the tourism story that, the 1914 amalgamation of the Northern and Southern protectorates of Nigeria by Federick Lord Lugard was in Ikot Abasi LGA of the State and not in Zungeru, Niger State, as erroneously documented by non‐state actors.
Sir Charles Udoh said this is based on the fact that, the relics of the epochal history, such as the old Amalgamation House, old typewriter, archaic telephone and other surviving materials are all seen in Ikot Abasi close to the sea which Lord Lugard ferried through to Akwa Ibom.
The commissioner made this position known, Thursday, in Uyo, while welcoming the newly posted Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Grace Akpan, to his ministry.
Sir Udoh who introduced the new permanent secretary to all headquarters staff of the ministry, disclosed that, another narrative that must be changed is the 1929 Women War, which took place in Ikot Abasi, but has been erroneously captured in history books over the years, as the ‘Aba Women Riot’.
Regretting that, these false tourism stories have been widely accepted for decades now across the globe, the state Tourism commissioner intimated that, momentum is high towards changing all contentious Tourism narratives about the state and called on all hands to be on deck, in this regard.
Udoh emphasized that, it is only Akwa Ibom people that can best tell their own story and called on all indigenes to brace up to join the government to change the tourism narratives of the state positively for posterity and generations yet unborn.
He expressed optimism that, the new permanent secretary will bring her wealth of experience and expertise to bear in the attainment of the envisaged goal of changing the tourism narratives of the state adding that, her posting to the ministry is apt and timely.
Emphasizing that he can attest to the passion, dedication and hardwork of Mrs. Grace Akpan, having worked with her previously as the then Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Sir Charles Udoh, called on all staff to give the new permanent secretary the needed cooperation, support and assistance to enable her discharge the functions of her new office creditably.
In her response, the new permanent secretary, Mrs Grace Akpan, expressed appreciation to the commissioner, Sir Charles Udoh, for taking out time to welcome her to the ministry and pledged to work assiduously with him and the entire staff to push ahead the factual and true tourism narratives of the state.
Present at the occasion were Heads of Directorates and Units of the Ministry, including: the Director of Administration, Mr. Mfon Udokang and the Director of Marketing/Logistics, Mr. Mfon Essang, among others.