Cross River Governor,
Senator Ben Ayade has disclosed that plans are underway to reposition the
annual Calabar festival and transform it into a veritable platform for African
discourse, Owojela’s Blog learnt.
The governor
who described the carnival as Africa’s biggest street party stressed that he
has a burning desire to see Africans speak in one voice.
Ayade was
speaking during the unveiling of the theme for the 2018 edition of the Carnival
Calabar which included a short video presentation on illegal mining
exploitation across Africa by a few rich foreign aristocrats held at the State
Executive Chamber, Calabar.
He expressed
optimism that this year’s edition of the tourism event will go a long way in
righting the wrongs done to Africans by foreigners, especially colonial
overlords, by portraying the continent and its people as the true owners of the
real wealth in the world.
Ayade:
“Because Nigeria’s foreign policy is Afrocentric, the unification of Africa has
become critical, let the carnival speak to power, speak to Africans that the
African Union must rise and defend Africa.”
The governor
who said he was elated by the theme of this year’s carnival, “Africanism” ,
further remarked that ” time has come when Africa must start thinking as a
country and provide a shoulder for weaker African countries to lean on.”
The Cross
River state Chief Executive said he made a choice of using the carnival as a
platform to tell the African story as well as remind the world that
civilization started in Africa and that Africans are the greatest semblance of
God.
The governor
further disclosed that he intends to bring intellectualism as a more rewarding
adventure to the Calabar carnival and indeed African heritage to represent
every sector of African structure in the global space.
Ayade
charged the band leaders of the 2018 carnival to make Africa proud by talking
big about the continent as according to him, “Africa has grown and will war no
more”, adding “make the streets gliter with things and colours that truly
represent Africa as only this will show we have come of age.”
Ayade said
he was of the view that youthfulness and vitality of Africa must be expressed
in their dance, story precession and sub- themes as these will bring about the
reverse of immigration to assure young men and women that Africa has realised
itself and on the part of restitution and enhanced growth. “Let the carnival
tell the reverse hypothesis of these stories and create a new cortosis that
create a direction and focus that accentuates and celebrates the African man
and let’s use this year’s platform to tell the true story that the real wealth
lies in Africa and that Africa is indeed the leader”, Ayade stressed.
Speaking at
the event, Chairman of Cross River state Tourism Commission, Gabe Onah said the
calabar carnival remains the main factor that has changed the narrative about
Cross River and put the state and Nigeria on a global map.
Onah praised
Ayade for introducing international carnival, Baikers’ parade, Miss Africa
Beauty Pageant among other innovations into the Calabar carnival thereby taking
the yearly event to unprecedented height.
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