Governor Bassey Otu has summoned all cruise boat operators, along with the management of Marina Resort and the Cross River State Tourism Bureau (CRSTB), to his office over Saturday’s boat tragedy, which claimed the lives of three medical students.
At least 11 students, who were members of the Nigerian Medical Student Association (NIMSA), were rescued by a combined team of locals, Nigerian police, and Nigerian Navy divers.
Three bodies are yet to be recovered 24 hours later.
The governor’s directive, in a statement signed by his chief press secretary, Emmanuel Ogbeche, on Sunday evening, ordered all activities in Marina Resort, operators of the boat cruise, to be suspended indefinitely until further notice
The statement reads partly: “The cruise boat operators with the management of the State Tourism Bureau are directed to attend a meeting in the office of the Secretary to the State Government on Tuesday,”
The governor also ordered the state Ministry of Transport to cross-check the safety standards and conditions of all boats operating in the Calabar waterways.
