By Levi Chidi
Do you know it is possible to be in Nigeria and also be in “Europe” at the same time?
And wait for this: Do know you can also be enveloped in the “cloud” without being the Biblical Peter who, lost in the maze of strange ecclesiastical awe and spiritual splendour, made an impromptu request to Jesus: “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”?
In deed, the Europe and cloud analogies are no jigsaws. They are no farce. As the popular Nigerian cliches go, seeing is believing, and a trial will convince you.
These are realities that confront you at Cross River’s Obudu Cattle Ranch, or as it is now known, Obudu Mountain Resort, located in Obanliku local government area, in the Northern part of the state.
The ranch and its host communities are a shouting distance from the Central African country of the Republic of Cameroon.
As you arrive Utanga community which is at the feet of the 1,700 feet above sea level undulating mountains on which top the Obudu Cattle Ranch sits, about 25 minutes of spine- chilling gliding drive to the summit, which surprisingly is a flat, table land, separates you from getting enveloped by “Europe” and the “cloud”.
Driving up to the resort can be quite exhilarating, especially the last ten kilometres of winding road with its 22 bends, including the famous Devil’s Elbow halfway along.This magazine was told that that particular spot was nick-named Devil’s Elbow because of it’s scary, dangerous bend.
Interestingly, the Devil’s Elbow has now been renamed the Angel’s Elbow.
At the top of the height is a vast and lush table land. At the top of the heights, massive, cold and dew clouds would descend on you in a manner that makes you think you are vacationing somewhere in Europe.
Indeed, with a freezing temperature that oscillates between 11oc, 13oc and 15oc, depending on the mood of nature, what you experience is akin to a severe winter in most parts of Europe.
And woe betide you if you are a first time visitor and not properly kitted with winter coat.
This minute, frozen dew “rain” on you as if in the heart of snow- capped streets and cities of Europe, and the next minute you are completely enveloped by chilly cloud that allows no visibility.
Infact, the zero visibility when the cloud and dew descend, is such that you are “blinded” from catching the faintest glimpse of someone five metres away from you.
In the chalets, heaters are stand- by to ward off the severe cold.
And if you think you are a “hard man” and decides to brave the cold and then turn on the cold water button and allow yourself the audacity of a cold bath, you could instantly find yourself in a freezing point, a free invitation for wholesale pneumonia into your lungs.
Mini- fridges in the chalets practically serves you no purpose as drinks do not need to get into them before getting chilled: Just leave them on the table and within minutes, you have with you, chilled drinks!
A visit to the Ranch tells a sordid story of a country that doesn’t know what to do with, or how to harness its other nature- given gifts, but only tragically stick to crude oil.
Evidently, with its exquisite facilities wasting away, the Obudu Cattle Ranch is an unutilized, under used and neglected foreign exchange spinner.
Tourism sector experts opine that the Resort is Africa’s number one tourism hub, and has the potential of out classing similar ones in Europe, if properly put into use.
They however, aver that what is needed is the reactivation of some of its dormant and rustic facilities and aggressive international marketing campaign to project it as a global tourism phenomena.
The Ranch boasts of such world class facilities as a world class convention centre, Presidential lodge, honey factory, water park, fully equipped gym and two flood-lit tennis courts.
Others are Canopy walkway, natural swimming pool, modernised traditional villas, a 9-hole golf course, the longest cable car in the world, among others.
The gondola cable car gives visitors a natural view as it by-passes the winding road to the top.
The state governor, Professor Ben Ayade, says he is committed to breathing life back to the awesome resort.
Already, the cable car that lift tourists from the mountain feet at Utanga to the Resort which had broken down is being fixed.
Before now, the Bebi Airstrip situated close the Resort provided aviation services to tourists visiting the facility from outside the state and from Calabar, the state capital, but the navigational problems pilots face landing at the Airstrip due to its proximity to the mountains, has made such services epileptic.
With about 20,156 km² land mass, Cross River is one of the biggest states in Nigeria. In fact, its size is almost the entire southeast states put together.
Therefore, to access the Ranch from Calabar, a gruelling six- seven hours drive, equivalent of a trip from Onitsha to Lagos, awaits such tourists.
However, to solve this problem, the Cross River state government, under Ayade, is currently constructing a cargo and passenger international Airport in Obudu to feed the Ranch.
Ayade: “The intention of this airport is to provide cargo support services and export of ornamental and special flowers from the Obudu Cattle Ranch. As you are well aware, a country like Kenya does average of 39 million Euros annually exporting flower from an altitude even less than that of Obudu cattle ranch.
“So, for Cross River State, we need to have an airport here to be able to assist us take advantage of the Obudu cattle ranch. More so, Obudu Cattle Ranch is a beautiful place of nature which has been heavily under-utilised because of access. So we are building an airport that can allow us benefit from the full potentials of the ranch.”
Let a Foreign Firm or Federal Government Take over the Ranch; it’s a Potential Foreign Exchange Spinner
According to a tourism expert, one of the ways the Obudu Cattle Ranch can effectively function and flourish, thereby compete favourably with similar resorts in Europe, is for it to either be completely given out to a foreign tourism firm to manage, or to be taken over by the federal government and treated as a national asset.
“Let a foreign firm or federal government take over the management of this nature’s gift to our country.Obudu Mountain Resort is a potential foreign exchange spinner”, he said.
This magazine was informed that at the twilight of the GoodLuck Jonathan administration, the process of taking over the Obudu Cattle Ranch by the federal government was on the verge of completion before it was ethno-politicised, thus stalling the move.
The North was said to have insisted that the federal government, under Jonathan must also take over the Mambilla Pleatue in Taraba state, and develop it to the standard of Obudu Ranch.
According to sources, the issue was never resolved before the former President lost the 2015 presidential election and left office.
Anape, Kegol, Kejikwu, Okwumo, Apahajile, keyi, Bechevbe among others are the host communities of the Ranch. What this means is that the communities, like the Ranch, are on the mountains and their inhabitants are mountain dwellers.
The opulence and splendour of the Ranch pathetically contrast with the squalid setting of the communities; yet, the tourist facility is just few metres away.
Poverty evidently walks on all fours in the host communities and this manifests boldly in the sagged bodies and sunken eyes of some of the inhabitants.
“We are suffering here, life here is difficult but there is nothing we can do.We are only praying and hoping that one day, life will be better.The Ranch is our own oil bloc.We engage in little economic activities whenever there are activities at the Ranch”, Alfred, 42, told The Source.
Respite is, however, coming the way of the Ranch host communities soon.The good news is that Professor Ayade is appalled by the nuseauting poverty pervading the communities and has pledged to end the grim situation.
On a visit to the host communities recently, the governor said:”We are here at the Ranch and when you look to the left and right, what you see in the entire place are the aborigines, the original owners of Obudu Cattle Ranch.
“They are relegated to the worst form of human existence; reduced to want, in body, in spirit, in soul and in the most sub-human living conditions with collapsing roofs and huge massive temperatures that run your blood chill and your bones cold.”
“I decided to take a guided tour to spend one week with the people to feel their pulse as we prepare to make the Ranch the most attractive centre for visits in Nigeria. I want to see how the citizens, the aborigines have been living side by side with the glaring reality of the luxury of the ranch resort.”
“It is a shame that where I live in the Rranch which is the presidential Villa is as if am in Europe, and just a few minutes walk from there, this is what you find. The contrast is unacceptable to my conscience because I have a background akin to these people, and so I understand the feeling. I understand the pain.”
Bemoaning the high level of deprivations being experienced by the people, the governor said: “As I see this, my heart bleeds that I have failed to be sensitive to the people who need government most. And so, my government is committed to constructing social housing to change their course and prove to them that God uses humans as a messiah.
“For us as a state, we are committed to exterminating this kind of extreme poverty”.
Obudu Cattle Ranch was developed in 1951 by Mr M. McCaughley, a Scot who first explored the mountain ranges in 1949. He camped on the mountain-top of the Oshie Ridge on the Sankwala Mountains for a month before returning with Mr. Hugh Jones, a fellow rancher, in 1951.
Together with Dr Crawfeild, they developed the Obudu Cattle Ranch.
The Obudu Plateau is spread over an area of more than 40 square miles (100 km2), and rises to about 5,200 ft (1,584 metres) above sea level.The plateau is a giant mass in its own right, and its peak reaches a height of about 1,716 metres (5,630 ft) above sea level. The plateau is known to be a habitat of rare species of birds.
The resort is close to the Cameroon border, just about 45 km to the Central African country.
Since 2005, a cable car climbing 870 metres (2,850 ft) from the base to the top of the plateau gives visitors a scenic view while bypassing the extremely winding road to the top.
The hilltop is about 11 km of winding road from the base. Driving up takes about 25 minutes while using the cable car takes about sjx minutes.
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