The Managing Director of Cross River State Tourism Bureau, Prince Ojoi Ekpeyong, is dead. He died early this week.

According to sources, Ojoi who had been battling with ill health for some time, had recovered and had resumed duty. Throughout the weekend and early this week, he had been active directing the affairs of the bureau before his sudden demise.

Ojoi grew through the ranks at the bureau, and was appointed by Governor Bassey Otu to head the organisation. He was regarded as the driving force behind the administration’s aggressive push to reposition Cross River as Nigeria’s premier tourism destination. In his tenure, he orchestrated a turnaround for the state’s long neglected tourism assets.

Under his stewardship, the Tourism Bureau successfully brokered multi-billion-naira private sector concessions for the Marina Resort in Calabar and was known as the hands-on approach and unrelenting energy beyond the headline grabbing investment deals.

Tributes have already begun pouring in from government officials, tourism operators, and entertainment stakeholders. Colleagues described him as a “visionary,” “tireless,” and “a rare breed of public servant who understood that tourism was not just about leisure but about livelihoods.”

One senior official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “Prince Ojoi didn’t just manage a bureau he built a movement. He made us believe that Cross River could once again be the pride of Nigerian tourism. His loss is irreplaceable.”

The Cross River State government is expected to release an official statement in the coming hours. As of press time, funeral arrangements have not been announced, but sources indicate that the government is planning a state-assisted burial to honor his contributions.