Nsa Gill, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, made this known in a statement to newsmen in Calabar on Sunday.

He said that the Governor Bassey Otu-led government had setup a 13-member carnival review committee headed by Chief Edem Duke, a former minister of culture.

Gill said that the review committee had a 10-point terms of reference, and that its report would be delivered within two weeks.

READ ALSO: Tinubu flags-off reconstruction of Lagos-Ibadan-Sagamu Expressway

According to him, the essence of the review was to improve the standard of the carnival, and to align it with global trends in tourism product development and repackaging.

“The review is aimed at restructuring the carnival, which showcases one of the world’s finest display of arts, culture, and tradition.

“The committee is also to review the past 20 years of the carnival in order to identify the high points and the low points.

“The committee is to identify the success factors of the last 20 years, restructure the bands as a creative entity, and explore organic ways of improving the carnival,” the statement reads in parts.

The governor’s aide further said that the committee would advise the government on how to improve regulations and the organisation of the event to align with world best practices.

“Another task of the committee is to harness marketing opportunities in order to improve funding, and to give the event its deserved international visibility.”

It would be recalled that the Calabar Carnival was initiated in 2005 by the administration of Donald Duke, a  former governor of the state.

Source: NAN

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Some of the fun seekers spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Calabar on Wednesday at the day six of the annual carnival.

The respondents noted that the non-functional street lights on the routes robbed the carnival which started on a high note during the day of the shine it deserved.

The 12km routes is from Eleven Eleven Roundabout on the highway to Effio-Ette junction along Marian Road and down to the end point at the stadium.

They noted that the government should have done better by ensuring the functionality of the street lights long before the carnival period.

A respondent, Mr Pascal Bajie, an entrepreneur based in Calabar regretted that the 2022 edition of the carnival which last took placed in 2019 lacked the usual glamour.

He pointed out that before now the street lights that had only functioned occasionally for years, should have been fixed for the purpose of the carnival.

According to him, “I am actually disappointed in the government who are the organisers of the carnival, this amounts to waste of time.”

“There is no fun because we can’t even record the procession this night because of non-functional street lights,” he added.

Similarly, Theresa Ogwu, who resides in Calabar said many of the fun seekers who came from outside the state would be greatly disappointed with the outcome.

“The night activity was expected to be highly entertaining and fun to watch if there had been functional street lights.

“You can see how poor the illumination is on the carnival routes. It wasn’t like this in previous editions and the government ought to know better.

“In previous editions, the street lights were usually turned on even before 6pm but its 7:30 p.m. now and the lights are not on,” she stated.

On his part, Mr Andy Akin, a visitor to the town, who also bemoaned the absence of street lights, said “an international event like this that saw participants from no fewer than 14 countries should have been better organised.”

It would be recalled that the annual carnival which started during the administration of Donald Duke, did not hold in the past two years.

The carnival was suspended in 2022 due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic while no reason was given for the carnival not holding in 2021.

Efforts were still being made to put some facilities in place for the 2022 edition of the carnival which was hurriedly put up.

The 2022 edition of the carnival had on Tuesday suffered a tragic event when eight persons died and 29 injured when a vehicle lost control and rammed into crowd of onlookers during the day five of the carnival.

Source: NAN

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The Sector Commander of Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Cross River, Maikano Hassan, disclosed this in Calabar on Wednesday.

A tragic incident had occurred during the Bikers’ parade carnival, an integral part of the annual Calabar carnival, on Tuesday.

The incident occurred in front of the Jumat Mosque in Bogobiri when a driver of a Camry car lost control and rammed into the crowd of onlookers.

Seven persons were said to have died on the spot, while 29 others were rushed to the Naval Hospital and the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital for medical attention.

The injured included: 21 male adults, three women, two male children and three female children.

The FRSC sector commander said that the additional casualty was one of the injured three female children.

“We went round the hospital where the injured were being treated to discover that one additional death had been recorded.

“We are also pleased to say that some of those injured in the incident had been discharged, while others were responding well to treatment,’’ he said.

The Tuesday incident, which had Governor Ben Ayade and other dignitaries in attendance, brought the day five activity of the carnival to an abrupt end.

READ ALSO: Calabar carnival incident: Ayade orders arrest of driver on the run

The annual carnival, which started during the administration of former Governor Donald Duke, had not held in the last two years.

The carnival was suspended in 2020 due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, while no reason was given for its failure to hold in 2021.

Meanwhile, the governor has commiserated with the families of those who lost their lives and promised to bring to book the driver of the vehicle who caused the accident.

The driver of the vehicle has been arrested and presently under police watch in an undisclosed health facility where he is receiving treatment for the injury he sustained in the crash.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Sule Balarabe, confirmed the arrest of the driver.

Source: NAN

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The driver was said to be on the run.

The governor who expressed sadness over the incident gave the directive on Tuesday in a statement through his Special Adviser on media, Mr Christian Ita.

The governor’s media aide said that Ayade was devastated by the incident and directed security agencies to apprehend the motorist who was on the run.

READ ALSO: Calabar carnival: Seven dead, 29 injured

While sympathising with the victims of the accident and their families, the governor, ordered immediate investigation to unravel how the motorist beat security barricades to have access to the routes which were closed to the public.

Ita said the governor also directed the immediate discontinuation of the Bikers parade in honour of the victims of the accident.

While promising to ensure the culprit is arrested and brought to book,  Ayade however, sued for calm.

Seven persons died while 29 sustained various degrees of injuries during the incident.

Source: NAN

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The Sector Commander of the Corps, Maikano Hassan, confirmed the number of casualty.

He said that the incident occurred in front of the Jumat Mosque in Bogobiri in the capital city of Cross River during the Bikers Carnival activity of the carnival.

Hassan listed the number of injured to include 21 male adults, three women, two male children and three female children.

He said that the injured were rushed to Naval hospital and the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, UCTH, for medical attention.

He said that the remains of the dead had been deposited in the two hospitals in Calabar.

According to him, the incident occurred when a Toyota Camry car lost control and rammed into crowd of onlookers during the carnival.

The incident abruptly brought the day-five activity to an end, where the state governor, Prof. Ben Ayade, was already seated with other dignitaries.

It would be recalled that the annual carnival which started during the administration of Donald Duke, has not held for the past two years.

The carnival was suspended in 2020 due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic while no reason was given for the carnival not holding in 2021.

Efforts were still being made to put some facilities in place for the 2022 edition of the carnival which was hurriedly put up.

Meanwhile, Governor Ayade has commiserated with families of those who lost their lives and promised to bring to book the driver of the vehicle that caused the accident.

Source: NAN

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Mr Linus Obogo, Deputy Chief Press Secretary to Governor Ayade, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, on Monday in Calabar.

Obogo said the decision to suspend the annual festival was reached at a meeting with the governor, the State Executive Council members and stakeholders of the carnival.

According to him, the decision to suspend the Calabar carnival was unanimous.

“The gathering was to unveil the theme of this year’s carnival but based on the emergence of the new variant called omicron and the advice by health experts that it kills faster than other variant, the governor then puts it before the stakeholders and it was unanimously agreed that the carnival be suspended.

“The carnival band leaders and other stakeholders agreed that for the purpose of public health and safety, the carnival be suspended.

“Also, there is an emerging security report which indicates that the event may be taken over by some hoodlums.

“To avoid all of these from happening, it was advised that the carnival be suspended so that people are not caught unawares,” Obogo said.

Recall that the State Commissioner for Tourism and Culture, Mr Eric Anderson, on November 28 said the annual festival would be held inside the U.J. Esuene Sport Stadium due to COVID-19.

Anderson said the stadium would help to control the crowd and space the seating arrangement for people to watch the live show.

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Ayade stated this during the kick off of the grand finale of the 2019 Calabar Carnival which has as its theme, “Humanity.”

“As we leave here today, if we don’t learn anything let us learn that humanity is the greatest religion.

“With humanity, you don’t need your Bible or Qur’an because with it you will show love to your fellow men that needs your love.

“Whether you are, rich, poor, tall, short, black or white; humanity does not know the difference because it breaks all barriers,” he said.

He added that as everyone came to enjoy the dance and glamour of the carnival, they should bear in mind that man had to change the way he lived for a better world.

“When God created man, he created him to be equal and peaceful but in the course of man’s existence in the world, he has become animalistic.

“I speak with a lot of agony, melancholy, frustration and pain because when God created mankind, he created us in his own image; he created man for the beauty of the world.

“He gave his only begotten son to die for us, but in the course of man’s habitation on earth, man has deviated completely. Man has gradually become more animalistic and animals have become more human,” he said.

Speaking earlier, Mr Gabe Onah, Chairman of Calabar Carnival Commission, said the carnival was all about humanity, love and kindness.

Onah said that Calabar Carnival had become a true platform for cultural diplomacy and a way of changing lives through cultural performances and display.

According to him, the carnival had become a village where communities, states and other countries come together during the Christmas season for fun, tourism and cultural display.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the participating bands were dressed in their colourful costumes as they danced round the 12 kilometres Carnival routes.

Security personnel from the Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, Nigeria Immigration Service and others provided security for all the participants.

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The commission’s Chairman, Mr Gabe Onah, told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Lagos that participants were expected from Vietnam, Bangladesh, Italy, Brazil, Malawi, Kenya and many others.

Onah said that delegates from other countries would actively participate in the carnival scheduled to take place between December 1 and 30, through various performances and other activities.

“We will have over 20 states within the country showcasing their culture in various ways in a street procession by December 26.

“More of Nigeria’s cultural and tourism content will be showcased to these international delegates at the carnival, because we want to encourage in-bound tourism.

“In order to create more excitement during the carnival, the governor has established 10-performance centres to engage a good number of the audience, this has always been his wish,” he said.

Onah assured local and international tourists of safety of lives and property during the carnival, adding that adequate security system was already on ground.

He said that during the carnival in December every year, crime was usually low in the state as people were usually in celebration moods.

“It is a platform for the youths to engage themselves. So, they are often too busy to engage in frivolous ventures.

“In providing security, we work closely with the Navy, Army, Police and other para-military bodies, even the state security services,” he said.

The commission’s chairman said that it was Governor  Ben Ayade that personally gave the theme of this year’s carnival as “Humanity.”

Onah said that the theme was meant to reflect on, and address the problem of man’s inhumanity to his fellow men in their communities and societies.

“Man has become so mean that the animals are doing better than us. There is the need for us to be one another’s brothers’ keeper, and positively change our society for the benefit of all.

“Man has become insecure; man has become unfair to fellow man that for a pot of porridge, we can sell our own brothers. This cruel behaviour must not be encouraged.

“This is the most challenging theme we will experience since the inception of the carnival as it touches everyone,” he said.

Onah said that during the carnival, a Christmas Village would be opened that Nigerians must take advantage of as part of their Christmas celebration.

He said that the Christmas Village was set up to enable the youths set up stands stocked with Cross River products that would be of interest to tourists.

“The carnival is actually drama on the move, all the elements of theatre are found in it. On December 26th, we will hold the cultural carnival while December 27 is the bikers’ parade. December 28 is the main carnival.

“On December 30, the black African music festival will hold to introduce the blacks who have become successful in the Diaspora in arts and music.

“The carnival is also being used to woo Nigerians in the Diaspora back to their roots,” he said.

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