Florence Ita-Giwa aka Mama Bakassi, a former senator who represented Cross River South constituency, has plunged many lovers of Calabar cuisines with
Florence Ita-Giwa aka Mama Bakassi, a former senator who represented Cross River South constituency, has plunged many lovers of Calabar cuisines with the recent shutting down of her once bustling restaurant, Echoes of Calabar after six years of operation. The opening of the restaurant which coincided with her 73rd birthday in 2019 was heralded with a lot of pomp and pageantry with a lot of eminent personalities in attendance.
The restaurant was officially opened by the immediate past governor of Cross River State, Prof. Ben Ayade who reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to supporting indigenes who decide to establish investments in the state particularly Ita-Giwa who he described as the biggest asset from Cross River State.
Located in the heart of Victoria Island, the restaurant was her own way of treating the upper echelons of society to tasty cuisines from Cross Rivers State with the best of food ingredients including flying in fresh sea food twice weekly into Lagos from Calabar, as patrons enjoyed their meals in a relaxed and luxurious environment.
Sadly, that experience has come to an abrupt end as Ita-Giwa has closed shop.
No reason was given about this development, but it may not be unconnected to the dwindling economic power of the average spending Nigerian due to naira depreciation.
