CALABAR - The Governor of Cross River State, Ben Ayade has described the Calabar Festival as the biggest street party in the whole of Africa as it witnessed over 15 countries in attendance. The Governor, who made the remark on Monday in Calabar at the grand finale of the 2015 carnival, noted that the festival is unique in promoting talents and unity among Nigerians.
Mr. Ayade pointed out that apart from promoting talents and creativity, the carnival had united the people of Cross River and other Nigerians. In his words;
“We are celebrating 11 years of the carnival; the greatest street party ever; the greatest show in West Africa, this is just the beginning.
“This is my first carnival as Governor of the state. We will continue to add new innovations to make it colorful in the years ahead,’’ he assured.
He said that the theme for this year’s carnival is “climate change’’, adding that the hospitality of the state had continued to attract tourists from across the world.
The governor commended the efforts of people of the state and the participants for making the 2015 carnival a success. Earlier in his remarks, Gabriel Onah, Chairman, Calabar Carnival Commission, disclosed that the carnival had continued to produce commercial content into the state.
“Tourism is indeed our own oil. We will use tourism to market the state to the world.
“The attention of the world is focused on Calabar today, as you can see, the state is wearing a new look,’’ he said.
A spectator, Philip Ita, who described the carnival as a street party uniting the people, commended the government for sustaining it for the past 11 years. The 12 kilometers carnival walk commenced from Mary Slessor road and snaked through IBB way, Marian road, MCC way, Calabar highway and terminated at the U.J Esuene stadium. Security operatives from the police, Civil Defence, Army, Navy and Immigration were stationed at strategic points along the route to ensure a crisis free carnival.
The Biggest Street Party on the continent, kicked off with carnival dry runs, decoration of streets and opening of the festival village. The festival was created as part of the vision of making Cross River State, the number one tourist destination for Nigerians and tourists all over the world.
The Carnival, which will last till December 31, has indeed boosted the cultural rich of Nigeria, while entertaining millions from within and outside the country. Commenting on the carnival, Special Adviser on Security, Jude Ndaji, noted that proactive measures had been taken to ensure a hitch-free celebration.
“The state is ready for the carnival. We have adopted different approaches to ensure this year’s celebration is better than all the other carnivals we hosted.
“At this time last year, we were not facing the kind of security challenges we are having today. And so, we have adopted security measures to deal with the situation and we are sure of a hitch-free celebration.
“As we speak, all the security agencies in the state are on high alert and all the arrangements for the carnival have been concluded.
“Usually, a few embassies in the past indicated interest in the programme but this time around, 15 countries are coming and we are ready to host them and other visitors to our state,” he said.
Currently, he said, a new band has been created with Mr. Ayade as the head, bringing the number of bands to six. He noted that the new band was made up of celebrities, stars and professionals who would add a new touch to the carnival.
(NAN)
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