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Calabar Varsity Unlocks Tourism Potential …….Expert Calls for Hospitality Education

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4 weeks ago

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Vice Chancellor of Unical, Prof. Florence Obi (R), presenting a memento to Prof. Bassey B. Esu at the inaugural lecture.
By David Owei,Baylesa
The University of Calabar is poised to become a hub for tourism development, and a renowned professor is advocating for hospitality studies to be integrated into the educational curriculum.
Professor Bassey Benjamin Esu, Vice Chairman of the BRACED Tourism Promotion & Development Initiative (BTPDI), emphasized the importance of hospitality education in schools, starting from the senior secondary level. He believes this will equip young people with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the hospitality industry.
The professor’s call to action came during the 136th inaugural lecture of the University of Calabar, where he presented a paper on “Hospitality-Centric Philosophy: The Spirit and Soul of Destination Product and the Piggyback of Development.”
As the University of Calabar prepares to launch its tourism initiatives, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Florence Obi, expressed her commitment to developing the institution’s tourism potential, saying, “We are ready to light up UNICAL with tourist attractions.”
He said, “this will help shape the minds of young people and prepare them for careers in the hospitality industry”. The Don also called for the establishment of a Department of Hospitality Orientation in the Federal and State Ministries of Culture.
Esu, a Professor of Hospitality, Travel, Tourism Marketing, and Development, also stressed the need for destination managers to invest in high-quality hospitality and standardized service delivery to enhance visitors’ experiences, a precursor to sustainable destination development.
He posited that, “hospitality is not just a custom but a social currency more valuable than reputation hence the need for hospitality-centric destinations to develop Standard Operating Procedures to ensure that service delivery meets international best practices”.
To maximize the benefits that destinations derive from strategic hospitality orientations, Prof. Esu advocated for organizations in the hospitality service ecosystem to build ‘philoxenic’ organizations by implementing hospitality-centric programmes.
He emphasized the need for managers to ensure that “all non-human customer contact points, such as roads, parking spaces, restrooms, hostels, and banks, convey a sense of hospitableness”.
On her part, the Vice Chancellor of UNICAL, Prof. Florence Obi described the inaugural lecture as a platform where academics gather to interact and brainstorm on critical issues affecting national development.
She thanked the inaugural lecturer, Professor Esu, for delivering an “apt lecture”, saying “we are ready to light up UNICAL with tourist attractions.”
With its rich cultural heritage and natural attractions, the University of Calabar is well-positioned to become a leading tourism destination. By integrating hospitality education into its curriculum, the institution can provide students with the skills and expertise needed to succeed in the industry.
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Gov.Adeleke Launches Stakeholders’ Consultation, Visits Chief Bisi Akande on Recent Developments

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2 months ago

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March 5, 2025

By

Gov Ademola Adeleke of Osun state

 

By David Owei, Bayelsa
Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun state has today launched a statewide briefing of stakeholders on the recent controversies over local government leadership in the state.

The Governor is scheduled to visit and update key leaders of thought on the development in a special briefing session with the state Council of Traditional Rulers on Thursday.

Today, Governor Adeleke visited elder statesman and former governor of the state, Chief Bisi Akande at his Ibadan residence to kickstart the briefing programme.

The Governor accompanied by top state officials also discussed pressing state and national issues with the former chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

On the local government issue, the Governor narrated the position of the state government over recent legal controversies and restated his commitment to rule of law for the resolution of the issues.

According to the Governor, there is need for all stakeholders to avoid resorting to self-help to avoid further loss of lives and properties, repeating his earlier calls on parties to return to court for ventilation of their viewpoints.

On national politics, the Governor appreciated the consensus building roles of Chief Akande in stabilization of the national leadership, declaring that Osun state is proud of the elder statesman.

The Governor further conveys the support of the Osun state government for the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, informing the elder statesman that the state government enjoys warm partnership with the Federal Government across all sectors.

“Our father, we are here to pay homage to you as my predecessor and as an elder statesman. I am also going round to brief our leaders on recent developments in our dear state.

“Your relationship with the Adeleke’s family dated back to my late Dad. I choose to start the consultation with this visit”, the Governor noted.

Responding, Chief Akande commended the Governor for the visit, describing the development as a welcome one despite differences in political affiliations.

Chief Akande said he had listened to the presentations from the delegations even as he urged continued upholding of peace and rule of law for the collective benefits of the state.The former Governor said bloodshed in the name of politics is unacceptable, calling on all parties to submit to the rule of law and avoidance of self help.

The governor and Chief Akande later held a two hour long closed door meeting.

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Jubilation galore as Parishioners of CKC Kurudu celebrate their cultural heritage  ….FG should exploit  our Cultural heritage to unite Nigerians-Rev Fr Dim

Published

9 months ago

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August 1, 2024

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Parishioners of Christ the King Catholic Church (CKC) Kurudu on Sunday last week rolled out their drums as various ethnic nationalities came out in great numbers, to  display their rich cultural heritage while celebrating this year’s cultural Day.
The occasion featured; March- pass, Dancing and display of  native delicacies by different ethnic groups.
Jubilation in the parish knew no bounds to the extent that the Chief Shepherd of the Parish, Very Rev. Father Thaddeus Chike Dim who doubled as the immediate past Vica of the Carmelite Order in Nigeria and his Associate Priest, Rev Fr Cyril Udom(OCD) joined Parishioners of CKC in the dance by different cultural groups to celebrate the cultural festival.
Speaking to the Publisher of Daily Echoes Online, Mr IGNATIUS OKOROCHA on the import of  this year’s Cultural Day celebration, the Parish Priest, Christ the King Catholic Church (CKC) Kurudu, Rev Fr Thaddeus Chike Dim(OCD) said,
“Today is a very special day set apart by the Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) Kurudu to celebrate our culture. It is something we call ” The Cultural Day” So, it is cultural Day because we are celebrating our cultural heritage today.
” We thank the Lord for all the blessings we have received from him as people from different cultural background. Even though, we speak different languages, we are still one family of God and we are united. For this, we came together to celebrate one another and to celebrate our culture and that is why  there is jubilation  in the parish today.
On what this year’s cultural Day celebration portend  for the parish in particular and the country in general, he said,”I think it is special to celebrate this festival this year because if you see the level of hardship  Nigerians are going through  and more so, what politicians are making us to  believe based on our different  cultural background, you will begin to wonder why things are going the way are. Politicians tell us that we are enemies to each other, but that is very wrong and what is happening is very wrong.
 So, today as we are celebrating our culture, we are celebrating unity in diversity. Arewa, Igbos, Yoruba, Hausa, Idoma, Edo Delta etc all of us are one people, one nation under one umbrella.
Continuing he said,”God has created us as one people. The diversity is something wonderful but politicians want us to see variety as something bad, therefore we started killing each other. No! we are children of one God and we have to  love one another and we have to continue to celebrate one another. That is why we are celebrating  today  and that is  what makes the celebration of this year’s cultural Day different from the previous ones.
“When you look at what is going on in the country today, we can even take arms and start killing each other but now when we celebrate together, we are saying that we are children of God under one  God.”
On his advice to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government he said,” my  advise to the present administration is that the reason why they are in government is to serve the people but now the people are crying and our leaders should wake up and listen to the cry of the people.
President Tinubu’s government should consider the level hardship Nigerians are passing through today and find ways to alleviate the suffering so that people will feel happy and  secured in their homes.
Right now people are not secured, they are crying and are hungry in their father’s land. It is not how it should be.”
Further commenting on the importance of culture he said, “what has happened in this parish is something the government should learn from and adopt as a policy aimed at enriching the nation’s culture.
 The government of the day should learn how to bring people together and not to scatter the citizens. Sometimes we see our politicians and those who are leading us, making derogatory comments about different groups, setting up different groups for their own selfish earn. It is not how it should be.
” We should love one another, they should promote love, they should promote unity in diversity the country. That is the only way you can have progress. When you are divided, you can not have progress. With unity, comes progress.
What we are celebrating today is something the government should emulate, the richness of other people’s culture and promote it and that   will make the  the people happy and there will be progress in the country.
On the import of the fund raising during the cultural Day celebration, the clergymen said, the committee that organized the event was raising fund to complete the renovation work in our church and the renovation will require some money to complete and  provide a befitting place of worship for our  parishioners.
Earlier, Chairman, 2024 CKC  Cultural Day celebration committee, Bro Wilfred Sunday Abu said, the actualization of this year’s cultural Day celebration is by God’s grace. He noted that “watching what Nigerians are passing through today, it is just by prayer and since it is an annual event, we prayed at the planning stage that God should help all the communities to contribute to its success.
“We planned and planned and planned. Infact we made the communities to understand that it is not a question of money but celebration of our rich cultural heritage. Celebrating ourselves, celebrating our God. Today we have come to celebrate our culture,” he noted.
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