Picnickers Want Upgrade Of National War Museum

Some Nigerians who thronged the National War Museum in Umuahia on Christmas Day for picnic have called on the Federal Government to upgrade the facilities at the museum to international standards.

The picknickers told newsmen that the museum could serve as a major revenue earner if the facilities were upgraded by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation.

Mrs Nkem Akuma, a civil servant who came to the museum with her children on sight-seeing, said that “a lot of work needs to be done” to make the place attractive for fun-seekers and tourists both within and outside the country.

“Nigerians abroad who returned home for Christmas and New Year celebrations will find the place attractive for picnic, if upgraded,” Akuma said.

She advised the management of the museum to redesign it so as to have a recreation park “where people can stay after moving around”.

The civil servant complained that “one gets bored after moving round the facility due to the lack of a recreation centre and other side attractions”.

Speaking in the same vein, another civil servant, Mr Ifeanyichukwu Odum, told newsmen that the museum should be upgraded to international standards to make it attractive to local and international tourists.

“A place like this can be a money yielding venture for the government if it is upgraded to attract international tourists,” he said.

Odum advised the culture and tourism ministry to provide modern facilities and infrastructure at the museum “so that when people come here, they will get value for their time and money”.

He, however, expressed satisfaction with the artifacts and other historical documentations at the museum, describing it as a “national monument and a place to be for those who want to know more about the Nigerian civil war”.

Mr Friday Okolie, an auto mechanic, also called on the Federal Government to uplift the centre, saying that it was offering valuable services to people, especially during festivities.

A member of staff of the museum said that the condition of anonymity that picnickers usually thronged the facility in large numbers during Christian and Muslim festivals.