Wevole Ezin
In a bid to ensure friendly policing on potential tourists during the 31 days 2023 annual Calabar Festival/Carnival, the Cross River State Tourism Bureau has trained military and paramilitary personnel in the state.
The one Day Train the Trainer Workshop with the theme; “Africa’s Warmest Welcome for Military and Paramilitary Forces.” took place at the Kada Cinema, Marina Resort in Calabar.
Speaking on the importance of the training, the Managing Director (MD), Cross River State Tourism Bureau, Ojoi Ekpenyong, said the training was part of activities to return the state to the world class destination through friendly policing.
He said the security personnel undergoing the training include; Army, Navy, Air force, Police, Civil Defense, VIO, Road Safety, Immigrations, Customs and even private security services.
“the essence of this training is to return Cross River State to that world class destination. The security men are our first gatekeepers, they’re the one who interact with our visitors, so we are here to let them know that they must welcome our visitors with a smile, they must do their jobs with love and with professionalism.
“The training aim at promoting a police friendly environment in Cross River. Whether you like it or not, when the police and other agencies solve the problem on the road with love, more people will come to Cross River State, he said.
“The expectation is high because there’s going to be a tourism policing in Cross River State. They’re all here as trainees, they will go back and train their colleagues, so these are representatives of security personnel in Nigeria. So about twenty thousand of them who will be on the road on that Carnival day will be trained in their respective agencies, he maintained.
He said the administration of Senator Bassey Otu would not leave any stone unturned to ensure Cross River return back to tourism destination.
Speaking shortly after flagging off the one-day training, the Speaker, Cross River State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Elvert Ayambem, said the initiative was a welcome development designed to take the state back to it’s root as tourism destination.
“Most of the countries people do travel to, they don’t even have what we have in Cross River State and I’m thanking the governor very strongly for rejigging the tourism of Cross River State.
“This training is very important because if you travel to somewhere and you see a security personnel manhandling anyone, I’m pretty sure you won’t want to visit there again. So what the MD of Tourism Bureau is doing here today is very commendable because that simple lecture that is given to them and the cautiousness of handling the people coming into the state is paramount.
“The training is very important because there’s a way security personnel will handle a person and instead of bringing in tourist into Cross River State, they rather scare them away, so it’s a welcome development, he averred.
The Speaker assured that the monolith and the gods mountain site which was neglected by the previous government would receive maximum attention in this administration.
Giving the overview of the training, Vice President, Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) Justina Ovat, said the training will inculcate the spirit of hospitality and excellent service to drive exceptional guest experience during Calabar Carnival.
“This comprehensive one-day workshop aims to equip military and paramilitary forces with the knowledge and skills needed to deliver ‘Africa’s warmest welcome’ during the Calabar Carnival, ensuring an exceptional guest experience. Facilitators with expertise in hospitality, events management and military protocols will conduct the sessions, she stated.