The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has appealed to relevant government agencies to ensure that the vision of the Tinapa Business Resort is not allowed to die. Controller, Cross River State Command of NCS, Comptroller Bamidele Akande, made this appeal on Friday when he led his team on a courtesy visit to the State Security Adviser, Mr. Rekpene Bassey, at the Government House, in Calabar.
Akande, who listed the challenges facing the resort to include the deplorable road network leading to Calabar and shallow waterways, said the sustenance of Tinapa required qualitative institutional support.
He emphasised the need to actualise the vision of Tinapa Resort, especially now that it had been taken over by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria.
He said: “There is need to revive and bring life to the port and this will create employment opportunities through road haulage, clearance of goods and increase in trading activities.
“We have identified some key factors causing the lull in economic activities in the state. The bad road is one of them. We have seen that the government is doing very well in terms of providing good roads within the city, but the problem is the road linking the state to other states. There are very bad sections and this is really affecting economic activities adversely.
“The road is a serious problem as we have been in touch with businessmen in Abia and other neighbouring states but the complaints have been that they cannot come here to do business because of the bad road. Another problem is the dredging of the Calabar channel. Something should be done about it urgently.”
In his response, the state security adviser pleaded with the Federal Government to fulfil its promise of dredging the Calabar waterways.
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