By Solomon Okpo
Eket, Communication scholar and community leader, Professor Herbert Batta, has urged Governor Umo Eno to prioritize meaningful development projects in Eket over the revival of the Qua River Hotel, stressing that the people require sustainable investments rather than another addition to the state’s growing hospitality sector.
Reacting to reports that the Governor is considering revamping the abandoned Qua River Hotel, Prof. Batta described the move as insufficient, arguing that Eket’s growth demands broader socio-economic infrastructure.
“It is heartwarming that Governor Umo Eno is directing attention to Qua River Hotel. However, the best way to revisit the facility should move beyond hotel business. Akwa Ibom is already suffused with hotels, including new ones planned for Uyo, Lagos, and Abuja. We cannot run our economy solely on hospitality,” Batta said.
He lamented that the Qua River Hotel structure has remained uncompleted since 1976, just like the Model Government Secondary School, Afaha Eket, which has been abandoned for nearly five decades. According to him, selling off the Qua River property in the past at a “giveaway price” to a government crony who lacked the capacity to add value was a historical injustice that must be corrected.
Proposing a more strategic intervention, Prof. Batta recommended that the state government and relevant stakeholders negotiate to acquire facilities such as the Eket Sports Stadium, Eket Sports Club, Pegasus Club, Qua River Beaches, Mobil Airstrip, and the Maritime Academy. He argued that these assets could be consolidated into Nigeria’s first University of Maritime, Aviation, Hospitality, Recreation, and Tourism Studies, a project that would align with the Governor’s Arise Agenda of boosting education, the blue economy, and leisure tourism.
On the issue of the Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve, also known as Akoiyagh, Batta cautioned against indiscriminate development, warning that the fragile ecosystem is already endangered.
“Stubbs Creek is the only remaining rain and mangrove forest in Akwa Ibom. It has been heavily depleted by hydrocarbon activities, logging, and animal poaching. Further development would escalate biodiversity losses and worsen the environmental impact,” he warned.
Prof. Batta’s call is expected to spark further debate among policymakers, development experts, and the Eket community on the most sustainable path to development in the area.
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