Ayade advocates peace, tolerance as he flags off 2nd dry run ‘Carnival Calabar beyond dance, warmth on the street’

The Chairman, Carnival Calabar Commission, Cross River State, Gab Onah has described the dance and warmth of the Carnival Calabar as a means to an end that stimulates more innovation to boost agricultural yield viz-a-viz improving infrastructural development to better the state’s economy.

According to Onah, who spoke at the second dry run of the carnival on Sunday, November 17, 2019, “Carnival Calabar has become a platform to test how cultural events are planned in Nigeria and it has also become the best platform for cultural diplomacy.

“At the first dry run, we hosted Beninese and Bangladesh, offering partnership in power generation, distribution and of course to support our cocoa processing.

“For the next dry run, we are expecting Vietnam to come and partner on rice seedlings to see how they can bring farmers to come and promote the smooth level for our farming and that is why we are saying that the dancing and the warmth we see on the street is a means to an end.

“Today is another milestone in the circle in the beginning of Carnival Calabar 2019. We are playing humanity which means reachout and touch.

“Today we have flagged off the Bikers dry run which is an addition to excite the people and the tourists that come to Carnival Calabar.

“Also we have experienced the landing of one of our sustained sponsors, MTN, led by Mrs Njidika Ken-Odogwu, the Manager, Sponsorship and Promotion, MTN, accompanied by Mr Joe.

“We also have a unique visibility in calibrating the revitalised carnival route, looking on how we can create more excitement on the road as tested on the first carnival dry run. We have five adjudication and five performance points. We have also injected rehydration points being manned by the ‘Ayade Care’ free of charge.

“The job behind Carnival Calabar is huge and that is why we are saying that to change we must continue as we move, and it is on this note that we request one collaboration from the opportunity that we always had, that the speaker is here to give us support. The speaker will make a statement on how the House will warm up to us to make the carnival a success.”

In his remarks at the flag-off, Speaker, Cross River State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Etem Jonah Williams, said “For us at the state assembly, we have always supported the carnival; the only business we have in our partnership is to make budget provision and present it to you and to make adequate provisions for the carnival to be able to be strong, big and attractive. We are thinking of having a band.

“The chairman, Committee on Culture and Tourism has given me a proposal that we must flag off our own to be part of this event.

“Also the senator said he is expecting the carnival team to send in their proposal to the housenext few weeks, promising to see that the National Assembly gives adequate suppot to make the partnership a worthwhile.

“I don’t want to say that it will be 100 per cent approved, but we will work together with you to ensuring that you put up the biggest carnival ever in the 2019 edition.”

Speaking while flagging off the carnival, the Governor of Cross River State, Professor Ben Ayade represented by the deputy governor, Professor Ivara Esu said.

“We can all see that indeed this is the second dry run and we are having a mammoth crowd which means that there has been a gradual build up to the main event coming up soon.

“We are very happy by the enthusiasim shown by everybody and we do hope that we will all continue to play our part to ensure that the Carnival Calabar continues to grow as it has been doing; bigger, better and bolder.

“This year’s theme as you have already known is Humanity and I am sure the bands’ leaders are doing their best to give full interpretation to the theme. For us, at this point, what we can say to all those that are going to make contribution to the Carniival Calabar is that they should start walking the talk of the 2019 theme (Humanity) by thinking good about your fellow human being, be nice to one another and other people, because it is the way you treat people that you will be treated in return. So treat people with fairness and also be kind at all times.