AFRICAN DUBAI

Duke’s Tinapa transcends in vision the ability of the ambitious dreamer. Dropping milestone upon milestone, until he finally touched stone; the Governor constructed a network of premium tourism hotspots that will arrest the unwary tourist in subjective addiction.

Calabar has fast acquired the status of a small get-away resort-metropolis for those who wish to shake the stress off life picked up in unnatural cities. It consists of a continuum of grass lawns tapering into puffy clouded blue skies. What was felt by a Californian lady beside me in a flight was the clean fresh air and different tasting fruits. The airport, also, she preferred to that of Lagos.

The road to the resort deviates at the city entrance. A sprawl of resorts and white sand greet the eye with sufficient distraction from intended quest for low prices. The secret appeal of the place lurks in its history.

The town was a docile location of no activity, no natural disaster, low population and as a result, low crime rate, just before the tenure of the present administration. Though crime rate remains low, the rest conditions couldn’t be improved by the wave of a wand.

The new problem presented last year was the regular dropping of airplanes out of the Nigerian skies. Though these were local commercial planes, while Aero Contractors charter flights are responsible for tourist trips to Cross River State, the dent on the country’s image mars its reputation with a negative impact on tourism potentials.

What moved these planes to affright? Why was debris twice found without Black Box? Could it really be that the country’s Aviation system is plagued with worn out planes?

The country has, since its earliest history, bought and used almost only fairly-used and unfairly used planes. They never did drop out of the skies? Why all of a sudden are they dropping like it was the habit in vogue? Why this fever? What’s the new element?

Tourist destinations, not bedeviled in political gambit make excellent spots to let time slip itself away. Dubai, where the skyline changes overnight, is but a stone-throw from war-torn Iraq, yet has witnessed no incident of bombing. May Nigeria, a peace-loving nation abide thus stainless: laudable steps in that direction should be applauded.

Tourists are sure to turn sojourners at the sight of visions that were better witnessed personally than told.