Calabar Carnival: Governor Otu, Tinubu-Ojo Flag-off 2nd Dry Run
By Uket Oka, Calabar
Cross River State Governor, Prince Bassey Otu has said the glamour and razzmatazz that characterize the 2nd Calabar Carnival Dry Run were testaments to the state’s preparedness for the annual fiesta that has become a global tourism phenomenon.
Governor Otu, represented by the Speaker of the State Assembly, Rt. Hon. Elvert Ayambem, stated this while flagging off the second dry run of the Carnival Calabar Festival at the popular 11/11 roundabout in Calabar, the State capital, with the assurance of a better experience in 2024.
“Today, it’s yet another one. We are noted for this. This is our specialty. In sub-Saharan Africa, we have sold carnival to the world. Cross River is known to be a model state for the carnival.
“With the kind of government we have now, I can assure you that this year’s edition will be bolder and better,” the governor added.
He said that: “As I flag off this campaign, I call on all tourism and carnival enthusiasts to brace themselves for the globally acclaimed soiree, as concerted efforts have been put in place to stage a huge event.”
Speaking, Mujidat Folashade Tinubu-Ojo called on Cross Riverians and Nigerians who value culture and heritage to uplift the tourism sector by encouraging Carnival Calabar, which she stated “speaks volumes of you as individuals and the society at large.”
Tinubu-Ojo added that, “we need to commit whatever we can to encourage this Carnival as it is no longer a Calabar thing.”
Also commenting, the European Union (EU) Cultural Centre Ambassador, Sunny Onuoha, applauded the government and people of the state for sustaining the event and introducing more aesthetics using local costumes that have also helped to interpret the yearly theme and its entire coordination.
“There is a need for our people living overseas to come back and enjoy Africa. We need to promote Africa; we need to promote our culture, the way we live, and the way we dress.
“It is the way of life of all of us, and we are completely indigenous people, so all of us as Africans need to promote our culture,” the representative of the European Cultural Centre advised.
Onuoha further assured that the European Cultural Centre, Abuja, would help in the area of technical training as well as do a lot in the area of promotion, being part of an exchange program to support Carnival Calabar.
The event was witnessed by the International Tourism Expert and Carnival Calabar Consultant, Ikechi Uko.
The year’s event with the theme: “Our Shared Prosperity,” would see revellers from both competing and non-competing bands parading the 12-kilometre Carnival route, a snippet also displayed immediately after the flag-off of the dry run.
