Assiga Village and its Neighboring Communities are blessed with numerous tourist attraction sites that attract both local and foreign tourist to Cross River State – the People’s Paradise.
The person who came up with the slogan for Cross river State as ” the People’s Paradise” couldn’t have thought of a better slogan for this beautiful state that is adorned with lots of tourist sites for foreigners.
Little wonder the state gains a lot from the influx of foreigners yearly who come to gaze at these sites and behold the free gifts of nature which the state seems to offer in abundance.
We will be going through these sites and what gives them their unique edge below:
1. Agbokim waterfalls
This masterpiece is situated 17kilometres from Ikom town and is quite close to the border between Nigeria and Cameroon.
It consists of seven cascades that easily pour over a cliff thereby creating a magnificent seven-part waterfall.
It’s quite a site you definitely would want to see for yourself. I learnt that there is also a point when the rainfall looks its brightest and that’s when the mist drifts from the crashing water thereby creating rainbow colors.
This water fall is beautifully isolated in a rainforest. It is ideal for a romantic or family picnic. If you are an ardent nature lover, you should definitely pay a visit to the Agbokim waterfalls.
From the descriptions given above you can tell that the falls a re absolutely a spectacular sight to behold. Its no surprise that the falls have been selected as part of the ‘Seven wonders of Nigeria’ project and this will in turn immensely contribute to the touristic value of the state and bring about great boost to the economy of the state.
The Cross river state sensing the potential they have in their hands have opted to upgrade the tourist sites in the State.
This implies that the Agbokim waterfall would therefore be made more tourist friendly in the nearest future. I mean we could even be looking at the possibility of an eco-resort here.
2. Ikom monoliths
The ikom monoliths are without a doubt a natural wonder.
There are not 1, not 2 but approximately over 300 monoliths present in Cross river state(wow).
A Monolith is a large single upright block of stone, especially one that was shaped into a column by people living in ancient times.
The carvers of these monoliths have got to be applauded for the time and effort in which they put to make these pieces.
The monoliths vary in height from one to two metres and are mainly grouped in circles facing each other. The images and texts have from time immemorial been a mystery as historians have struggled and pondered as to what they could mean but it has all been to no avail.
The monoliths are however believed to have been written by the earliest indigenes and resident of the area. It is rather sad however that these carvings are suffering some threats from erosion and other natural disasters plaguing the area.
Regardless of the threats being posed to the monoliths, they have no doubt stood the test of time and will continue to remain a great site for tourists within the country and beyond because these monoliths are a rare piece and they will always be a tourist attraction.
2. Lemane Pool
The ancient Lemane pool is a historic stream in the town of Assiga. The pool has been in existence for hundreds of years and has not lost its appeal throughout the period.
The pool might have reduced drastically In size but still habitates fishes of different sizes. However, as much as the fishes are, they are not to be caught by anyone for fishing or killing purposes.
It is a traditional belief among Assigans that if the fishes are killed, a great evil would befall the land and whoever dares to kill the fishes would face severe punishment from the ancestors of the land.
This tradition is handed down from every Assigan mother to her child. It is safe to drink from the water. It is a center for tourists that are willing to explore the rich vegetation and water resources.
4. Leboku festival
This festival is held yearly and has gradually become a tourist center for foreigners that visit during its period. The Leboku festival that used to be just a normal village celebration in towns had grown so popular that the Cross river state government had to work with Yakurr local government to ensure that the festival be unified into a grand festival that would meet international standard for festivals across the world.
This led to the coalition of the Assiga, Ugep, iman and two other communities to begin what has become a yearly ritual in which indigenes of these communities come together to display their bountiful harvests for the year and thrill the crowds with their music and dance steps.
Its always a spectacle to behold with each passing year. The Cross river state government have noticed this growth and the contribution to the tourism sector in the state and has vastly improved its economy.
5. Kwa fall
This is another beautiful waterfall, it is located at Anegeje village in Akangpa local government in Cross river state.
There is actually a river called the Kwa river and as the name implies, one can understand the connection between Kwa river and the Kwa falls.
The Kwa falls is actually an extension of the Kwa river. This delectable sight has 234 steps made before it and the water emanating from the falls flow into a large canopy of both the tropical forest and the mangrove forest that is actually rich in Mahogany, Ebony and Spruce trees in such a beautiful landscape setting.
After you are done surveying the beautiful sight which the falls has to offer, tourists can spend their afternoons nearby Kwa river sand beach for pure relaxation.
These amazing sites mentioned above are located in communities not exactly far from the Yakurr community axis and they are definitely sights to consider visiting as a tourist either on a romantic vacation or a family outing or you are just a strong admirer of nature they should definitely be in your agenda.