CROSS RIVER STATE
AT A GLANCE
assembled. It became the residence of include Professor Eyo Ita, the first
the Consuls and High Commissioners Nigerian professor and first Premier
that administered the Protectorate.
of the former Eastern Region of
Nigeria. He was also a member of
As an international trade route and
the Nigerian team that negotiated
colonial administrative headquarter,
Nigeria's independence in Britain.
Calabar housed the earliest of military Louis Edet is Nigeria's first
barracks in the country. It was the
inspector General of Police,
first kingdom to embrace Christianity Margaret Ekpo, first woman Special
and the first Presbyterian Church
Member of Nigeria's Eastern House
(Church of Scotland Mission) was
of Chiefs and later Eastern House
built in 1846. The first Roman
of Assembly and Hogan 'Kid'
Catholic Mass in Nigeria was said at Bassey first Nigerian World Boxing
19 Bocco Street, Calabar in 1903. The Champion. Etubom Oyo Orok Oyo,
city also has the oldest secondary
premier football administrator and
school in Eastern Nigeria, Hope
first Nigerian to be elected into
Waddell Training Institution
FIFA executive committee (1980-
established in 1895. Dr. Nnamdi
1988) and the first African to be
Azikiwe the First President of the
made Honorary Vice President of
Federal Republic of Nigeria was a
Confederation of Africa Football
student of this school.
(CAF) for life since 1988.
Calabar has also produced prominent Incidentally the first football match
figures in the nation's history. They
in Nigeria was played in Calabar.
include King Eyamba V of Duke
Town and King Eyo Honesty II of
The mantle of traditional political
Creek Town who jointly wrote to the authority which rests on the Obong,
King of England to send missionaries is hinged on a political tripod
to Calabar to educate their people and whose legs are Duke Town, Old
King Archibong III who was the first Town and Creek Town. Each leg of
King in Southern Nigeria to be
this tripod was at one time ruled by
crowned with the regalia sent by
a separate Obong. However through
Queen Victoria of Great Britain in
a gentleman's agreement, the three
1878. Other prominent figures
towns agreed to merge the crowns
for one titular head that is today
referred to as the Obong of Calabar.
The title still rotates among them.
Calabar has a Sea Port, with
construction ongoing for a State
owned Deep Seaport, A Textiles and
Garment Factory, an International
Airport, two Free Trade Zones,
while the catering and hospitality
business does exceptionally well,
particularly during the renown
Calabar Festival. The areas of
attraction are numerous, each
component laced with the spirit of
warmth and hospitality the State is
known for, creating a strong
impression of tranquility, unity with
nature and culture and that insatiable
desire in the hearts of tourists that
keeps them coming back repeatedly.
At strategic locations around the
metropolis and the state are large
deposits of several sculptures, relics
and artifacts that tell of the people's
strength, industry, craftsmanship and
rich and warmculture.
Cross-River State, being a major
player in the country's tourism
industry was fondly
rechristened THE PEOPLE'S
PARADISE .
Health and Fitness
A
ccording to world health organization (WHO) being healthy is not merely the absence of diseases or sicknesses.
It's generally a state of complete physical, mental and social resources.
Every aspect of your life influences your state of wellbeing, so it's paramount to ensure healthy lives by exercising to
stay fit and eating right to stay healthy, as well as other aspects of health promotion. Your total wellbeing should be a
priority, good health equates a good quality of life and sound mind, which in return equates a good quality of life.
Therefore you need to always find a way to stay fit and healthy by:
ü
Drinking lots and lots of water
ü
Eating healthy/balanced diets
ü
Exercising on daily basis
ü
Getting enough sleep
ü
Regular check ups
ü
Eating lots of fresh fruits
ü
Leading a stress free life
The State has a land mass of about 23, 074km, covered by a body
of water from the tributaries of the state and the Atlantic Ocean,
which renders the land fertile with provisions of abundant aquatic
resources. Two thirds of the state is covered by tropical rain forest
making it one of the world's biodiversity.