Until recently, many Nigerians knew only Ikogosi stream in Ekiti State as having cold and hot water at the same time, but a cave has been discovered in Ugep, Yakurr Local Government Area of Cross River State as harbouring a stream with hot and cold water.
This disclosure was made by the Obol Opol of Ugep and Paramount Ruler of Yakurr, Obol Ofem Ubana Eteng in Ugep while briefing journalists on activities lined up for this year’s Leboku festival.
Obol Eteng said the water was discovered recently by a hunter who alerted the people of Ugep, noting that with the discovery, Ugep has added another tourism site to the festival which, he said, has grown in the last ten years since MTN Nigeria began sponsoring the event.
“We have a lot of tourism sites in Ugep and I want to bring to your notice the recent discovery of a cave with a stream that has cold and warm water. We have visited the cave and many people have come to attest to this discovery and I want government to sell this site to the outside world,” Eteng said.
While assuring both visitors and tourists to this year’s festival of security of lives and property during and after the annual event, the revered monarch said the recent crisis that erupted in the area as a result of activities of cultists has been brought under control while those who were arrested in connection with the crisis are either cooling their feet in Police cells or taking refuge in the bush.
The monarch used the occasion to appeal to the state governor, Prof. Ben Ayade to resettle the people of Ebijakara, who he claimed, have been taking refuge in surrounding communities as a result of displacement borne out of communal crisis with neighboring Ebom community.
Meanwhile, Governor Ben Ayade has promised to make this year’s Leboku festival a memorable one, saying government was planning a cultural exchange with Finland.
Ayade, who was represented by the Special Adviser on Events Management, Governor’s Office, Mr. Kenneth Aklah, identified Leboku in the central senatorial zone, Northern New Yam festival in the northern senatorial district as well as Utomo Obong festival in the southern senatorial district as cultural festivals the state was planning to promote.
Friday Nwagbara, Calabar