Carnival Calabar ends 2nd ‘Dry Run’

With the successful conclusion of the second ‘Dry Run’, Carnival Calabar, the biggest street party in Africa, is once again ready to host fun loving visitors to a fantastic edition of the carnival this year.

The Dry Run, which kicked off last Sunday, is in preparation for the grand finale of the carnival slated for December 26, 2014.  On that beautiful Sunday, the five bands and their officials assembled at the millennium park by noon while the Dry Run was flagged off at 2pm to allow church goers to get home for lunch and get ready to receive the revelers on the 12-kilometer carnival route and to enable those who wanted to partake do so after church service.

This is a strategy was developed by Governor Liyel Imoke to involve the community and secure their support to make it truly the people’s carnival moving forward.

However, one good development at this year’s flag off ceremony held at the Millennium Park Calabar was the disclosure by Governor Imoke of a bill he sent to the Cross River State House of Assembly to privatize the organisation of  Carnival Calabar from 2015 and recognition of Carnival Calabar Bands Association as a corporate entity.

The crowd and especially the five participating bands were happy when Gabe Onah, chairman of the state Carnival Commission, disclosed this in his introductory speech at the Millennium Park before the flag off of the second dry run to herald the carnival proper. Explaining further, Onah noted that when the bill is passed and operational, the carnival bands would be independently run by their members while the commission would be concerned with the policies and ensures standards are kept.

While flagging off the dry run, Itaya Nyong, deputy speaker, Cross River State House of Assembly, noted that very soon the state would become a centre of celebration as many visitors would be thronging to partake in Africa’s biggest  street party. Explaining the rationale behind the dry run, Nyong said the dry run was necessary to ensure the rehearsals were perfected and all necessary preparations and structure needed for world-class event are in place.

In another development, Onah congratulated the commission, band   officials and members, medical personnel, as well as, the military and paramilitary agencies for a successful second dry run in spite of the challenge of the rains.

“Our resilience was tested and we prevailed in staging this reality show, the biggest in Africa with appreciation to Kate Henshaw, the Nollywood queen who was with us to the end”, Onah said.

While the main carnival dry run held, children also had an exciting dry on Sunday, December 7, 2014.

However, the carnival chairman urged Nigerians and lovers of quality excitement across the world to keep a date with the state during the 32-day all round excitement that would climax on December 26, 2014, the carnival parade where the five participating bands, revelers and the peace loving citizens of the state will be marching colourfully on the 12-kilometer carnival route.

OBINNA EMELIKE