By: Felix Ikpotor
The Rivers State Government says it is poised to diversify the state’s economy and develop it’s local councils through investment in culture, tourism and the creative industry.
The State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dr Israel Ngbuelo, stated this at a meeting with representatives of the 23 local councils of the state in Port Harcourt.
Ngbuelo said the state has over 42 tourists sites that are yet to be fully developed and harnessed, stating that development in the tourism and the creative industry has the capacity of not only creating revenue for the government and council areas, but equally reduce crime to it’s barest minimum.
He explained further that the essence of the meeting with the council representatives was to charge them to go back to their respective LGAs to form Culture and Tourism Committees to interface with the State Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
He also said part of the duties of the committee would be to identify various tourists sites in their LGAs and report same to the government for development and revamping.
The Culture and Tourism Commissioner said the ministry wants to leverage on the existing peace in the state to make the tourism and creative industry booming, thereby discouraging fun seekers from traveling out of the state especially during festivities.
“His Excellency (Governor Siminalayi Fubara) does not only have passion for culture and tourism but he has gone ahead to give us a mandate to and identify various tourists sites in the state for development. So we call you today as a ministry to bring your attention to what we intend to do.
“Today we want you to go back home and rethink because right now we are shifting from our over dependence on oil because most countries in the world are now doing well without oil. So we are out to build back and harness the cultural potentials of Rivers State, so we called you as partners to go back to your local governments to form culture and tourism committees that will give us feedback on areas we can build on as arts, culture and tourism sites,” Ngbuelo stated.
“For instance, there are a lot of tourist sites in Opobo including their beach that is yet to be developed, in Khana, we have the Ken Saro-Wiwa Memorial Park. So as a ministry we have looked at it and discovered that our local governments have the capacity to develop themselves because we want a situation whereby between now and December, you won’t have any need to come to Port Harcourt because your place should be beautiful and so busy and attractive to investors which will not only bring in foreign investment but also reduce crime and criminality to the barest minimum,” he added.
Ngbuelo further expressed optimism that with the taken over of the Port Harcourt Tourist Beach by Landmark Group and the planned return of the state’s annual cultural carnival known as CARNIRIV, the tourism and creative industry of the state will start booming again.
Responding, Odimabo Torukween, the vice chairman of Akuku-Toru local government area, who spoke on behalf of the council representatives appreciated the state government for coming up with the plan, promising to go back and put the charge by the ministry into action.
