Mr. Abubakar Robert Ewa, the Cross River State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts, and Culture, has passed away. He died this evening at Arubah Specialist Hospital in Calabar, the state capital.
The 61-year-old had reportedly been receiving treatment for an undisclosed illness at the hospital in recent days.
At the time of filing this report, members of the Cross River State Executive Council, alongside several aides of Governor Bassey Otu, were gathered at the hospital to mourn with his family.
Before his death, Mr. Ewa’s last public engagement was a visit to the Arts and Crafts Village at the Cultural Center in Calabar, where he informed traders of an impending demolition exercise aimed at reconstructing the facility.
Throughout his career, Mr. Ewa made significant contributions to local governance. He served as the Secretary and later the Chairman of the Boki Local Government Council.
Additionally, he held roles as Special Adviser for Community Relations and Secretary of the Anti-Deforestation Task Force in the state.
He also supervised the recent Calabar Carnival