Cross River Assembly inaugurates committee to probe Tinapa Resort

THE Cross State River House of Assembly has set up a 10-man committee to assess the current state of the TinapaBusiness and Leisure Resort, owned by the state government.The committee is toexamine theteething problems hampering the operations of the business concern with a view toensuring optimal utilisation of its potential.The committee was set up, following the adoption of a motionto this effectby the houseon Thursday in Calabar.The motion was moved as a matter of public interestbythe member representing Boki 11 State Constituency, Mr. Jacob Enyia.The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that thecommittee has one month to submit its reports to the houseEnyia had decried the moribund state of the N50 billion investment, expressingdismay overthe hugemonthly deductionof debts on itfrom the state's statutory allocation by the Federal Government.According to him, the state carries a huge debt profile occasioned by the establishment of Tinapa.He said that Tinapa's debt profile had affected the meagre resources of the government as huge sums werededucted at source to service the debt used to set it up.Also contributingto the motion, Mr. Joseph Bassey, representing Calabar 11 State Constituency, described Tinapa as a 'white elephant project' that serves no purpose to the state.'I have always seen Tinapa as a white elephant project and it cannot see the light ofday.' From inception, it was not a realistic idea. How do you want it to work when there is no standard hospital in Cross River'''he asked.Bassey, however, said that the State Government had done much to attract investmentto Tinapabutstated that Tinapa had only turnedtoa museum.He saidthatthefacility 'may not function effectively in our generation'.The Deputy Leader, Hon. Paddy Ugugbe, representing Ogoja State Constituency, however,commended Governor Liyel Imokefor sustaining the Tinapa project.Ugugbe advised the government to lookre-examine the project so as to solve the problems facing the operation of the outfit.Before the adoption of the motion,majority of the lawmakers said that the committee should also try to invite the initiator of the project, Mr. Donald Duke, to explain the rationale foritsestablishment.The lawmakers further said that the initiator should explain to the committee,its ownership, the amount invested in the project as well as the level ofdebtincurred by the government on its establishment.Mr. Larry Odey, Speaker of the House, said there was every reason to be concernedbut he advised members to always be optimistic.Odey said the Imoke-led administration had never said that it was disconnecting itself from the ongoing projects.'I think that for this Government, the spirit of continuity is there,'' he said.
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