February 18, 2025

TNN Newspaper

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Ayade Missing As Carnival Bands Canvass Return of Calabar’s Lost Glory

3 min read

In deliberate efforts to give proper interpretation to this year’s theme of the Calabar Carnival-season of sweetness-an adaptation from the election mantra of the governor, Senator Bassey Edet Otu, the various bands made allusion to the rot that Cross River experienced during the eight years reign of Prof Ben Ayade as governor and predicted days of glory under Otu.

Interestingly, Ayade was nowhere close to Calabar, where Africa’s biggest party took place. The carnival, as usual, attracted visitors to Calabar from all parts of the world. He has also not been seen in any public government related events since he left power in May this year.

Under Ayade, Calabar had lost its pride of place as Nigeria’s cleanest city. That position has since been taken over by the neighbouring Akwa Ibom State.

Not a few persons got pissed by the level of backwardness that the state experienced under the immediate past government. Since May this year when the new government took over, there seem to be more effort in the direction of cleaning up the mess of the past eight years.

For example, the state library that was abandoned to rot under Ayade is receiving the attention of the current government. The streets of Calabar are also being cleaned up, even though it is yet to return to the days of Duke, when Calabar was known for extraordinary cleanliness.

Unlike what used to happen under Ayade, when the co-governor was visibly seen to be running the state and many commissioners not able to share their thoughts with the governor, the citizens say things are changing.

Some of these were a major feature in some of the theme songs, plays, dance and actions of the various bands at the 2023 carnival. The commentators took time to make repeated remarks about the better days that the people should look forward to, as they celebrate the ‘season of sweetness.’

The Freedom Band, for instance, paraded a tree with various fruits to show their expectations from the governor in the areas of infrastructure, payment of entitlements for pensioners and restoration of the long lost glory of the state.

Some messages, in the form of placards, were even displayed by some of the bands, showing the areas of decay that the state experienced during the last administration and what the era of sweetness would bring.

One of the projects that Ayade embarked on, which has attracted so much condemnation, is the one he called the spaghetti flyover. The project has remained as useless as ever.

As the various bands performed in front of the governor and the wife, at the Mary Slessor Roundabout adjudication point, they dropped loud messages, reminding him of the rot in the state and why the state must experience total sweetness under his government.

A former minister of tourism, Chief Edem Duke and senator Florence Ita-Giwa, including some Nollywood stars, also added colour to the carnival.

As at the time of this report, the carnival float was still in progress and no winner had been announced.

 

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