Ahead of the 2023 Carnival Calabar, the Cross River State government has commenced the training of 20,000 security personnel to guard tourists during the festival scheduled for December 28, 2023.

The managing director of Cross River State Tourism Bureau, Ekpeyong Ojoi, disclosed this in Calabar yesterday during the flag-off of the training of security personnel in Calabar.
Ojoi said with the skills the security personnel have been equipped with, visitors can be assured of their safety.

The tourism bureau chief enumerated security personnel undergoing the training to include, Army, Navy, Air force, police, civil defence, vehicle inspection officers (VIO), road safety, immigrations, customs and private security organisations.

“The essence of this training is to return Cross River State to that world class destination.
“The security men are our first gatekeepers, they’re the one who interact with our visitors, so we are here to let them know that they must welcome our visitors with a smile, they must do their jobs with love and with professionalism.

“The training aimed at promoting a police friendly environment in Cross River. Whether you like it or not, when the police and other security agencies solve the problem on the road with love, more people will come to Cross River State,” Ojoi said.