By Sylvia Akpan, Government House Correspondent
The Governor of Cross River State, Senator Bassey Otu has blown a trumpet that the 2023 Carnival Calabar will be the best.
He made the assertion during the flagging off of the 2023 first Carnival dry run, at the Millennium Park on Sunday in Calabar, the State capital.
The Governor represented by his deputy, Hon. Peter Odey, remarked that the 2023 Carnival Calabar will be better than every other Carnival that has been seen in the history of Nigeria.
“We are going to have the best Carnival that this country has ever seen this year.
“We are ready and all the service commanders are here and what that means is that we are ready.
“So, we are sending a message to our friends out there in America, London, Brazil, Trinidad, and Tobago that their security is safe in Cross River. We are ready, very ready to host you, ready to welcome you because this year’s Carnival will be the best in the world.”
The Chairman of the State Carnival Commission, Mr. Gabe Onah, revealed that the cultural millennium that has turned around Cross River, changing the landscape of Nigeria is back, maintaining that the city lights of Calabar are coming right back even as the streets are becoming cleaner.
Among the participating bands who walked through the 12-kilometer Carnival routes are Masta Blasta, Seagulls, Bayside, Calas Vegas, Passion 4, and Diamond.
The Special Adviser Events Management, Effiong Ekpenyong, disclosed that the Calabar Carnival has also introduced a raffle draw where the winner will cart home a brand new car.