How Ogbunike Cave Will Create Thousands Of Jobs For Ndi Oyi/Ayamelum

Do you know that a bill to make Ogbunike cave a world class tourist site can be sponsored in the Green Chambers of the National Assembly by Lady Maureen Chinwe Gwacham?

Let me break it down;

The Ogbunike caves are actually a system of many caves linked together by small, tunnels and passages. They take their name from Ogbunike, a town in Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State, where they are situated.

The main cave consists of a massive structure with a big open chamber of about 5m high, 10m wide and 30m long at the entrance.

The caves have become a location of interest for movie directors looking for a bit of the mysterious and natural. In 2013, much of the seminal Nollywood movie series, Idemili, was shot at the Ogbunike caves.

In 2007, UNESCO added the caves to their tentative list to be considered as a World Heritage Site, after it was submitted by the Nigerian Commission for Museums and Monuments.

The Anambra State Government has also contributed to the preservation of the site, but what has been left undone, leaves much to be desired.

The site has been protected from the threat of urbanization to a large degree; there are large boundaries, about 20 hectares on all sides, between the caves and the closest human settlement, which is best suitable for a five-star hotel behind the cave.

In the valley that leads to the mouth of the caves, there is a lengthy walkway of 317 steps that is said to be have constructed by the Anambra State government in the 1990s.

In 2014, numerous publications reported that Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State told a gathering of Ogbunike residents that his administration had awarded projects worth 250 million Naira for the preservation and upgrade of the caves to meet modern standards.

Those reports have since been deleted and taken down.

The present state of the Ogbunike caves demands that such money is spent to give it a face-lift, at the least.

Besides the steps, there is nothing that offers ease of access and navigation for visitors and tourists.
Within the caves, there are no lights to show the way or vents to make the experience easier for claustrophobic visitors.

The tour guides have a great deal of knowledge about the caves, but there is no training on how to deal with tourists or adequate remuneration to motivate them to offer visitors a sterling experience.

The result is that they can be hostile and dismissive at times.

There is no doubt that the Ogbunike caves have major tourist potential, both for their history, novelty and the many mysteries that lie within its dark chambers.

But more must be done to accentuate its unrivaled beauty and incite visitors to enjoy what is undoubtedly one of nature’s more impressive wonders.

Now you know?, Lady Maureen Chinwe Gwacham, through the people’s mandate, can sponsor a bill to upgrade Ogbunike cave to a world class tourist site, which will accentuate the underlying potentials of Ndi Oyi/Ayamelum Federal constituency with direct and indirect job opportunities.

Make no mistake about this for revolution is coming our way!

*#Nwanyibuife*
Culled from pulse.ngCc. Edozie Ezebinugwu ✍