Jonathan on vacation in Obudu
AFTER months of hectic but successful campaigns, the president-elect, Dr Goodluck Jonathan will be winding down at the pristine Obudu Mountain Ranch Resort in Cross River State. Jonathan’s visit which began at the weekend is expected to last for about nine days.
On hand to meet Jonathan and his team, which also included his wife, Dame Patience Goodluck Jonathan, were the Cross River State Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke and his wife, Obioma.
The Jonathans arrived at the ranch via the ranch’s cable car, said to be the only one, north of the equator of Africa. “We’ve been on the road campaigning for two months to say the least and he deserves a nice break, “an aide to the president stated.
Though the president-elect is on vacation, there are great expectations of his trip being a break- through for tourism in Cross River State. “This trip is long overdue,” says the state’s special adviser, governor’s office, Nzan Ogbe. Ogbe believes Jonathan’s trip is strategic and timely.
President Jonathan
He is optimistic that quarterly and even monthly strategy retreat meetings could emanate thereafter. “This trip will be good for Cross River State,” he explained.
Standing at 1,576metres above sea level, and about five hours drive from Calabar, the state capital, the Obudu Mountain Resort, also known as the “land where God resides,” boasts of scenic beauty and divine weather. However, traffic to this place has been slow of late. “Perhaps this trip will allow the president-elect to see some of the constraints we have had here,” Ogbe continues.
“The ranch currently runs on alternative power, which is very expensive. To get to the ranch from Calabar entails travelling through the Ikom/ Calabar route and the roads are not in a good state. It’s also about the same distance from Abuja. If these roads are revamped, then the journey is reduced by half.”
According to Ogbe, the Obudu Mountain Resort was constructed by the Duke administration and has since been upgraded by the current administration, with state of the art facilities making it the country’s premier destination for a presidential retreat amongst many other features.
