The Cross River State House of Assembly has adopted a resolution calling on the state government and its agencies to suspend the 2020 Calabar Christmas Carnival and other related activities.
The Assembly wants the annual Christmas Carnival suspended due to the destruction and looting of infrastructure following the #EndSARS protest as well as the COVID-19 pandemic currently ravaging the world.
The lawmakers said the government should rather address pressing issues like the rehabilitation of damaged infrastructure and security in the state.
The Assembly adopted the resolution following a motion moved by the House Leader, Peter Odey (Ogoja), who decried the wanton destruction of infrastructure across the state during the recent #EndSARS protest where most of the Carnival events are normally held.
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He said though the Carnival Calabar is an international event attracting people from all over the world with economic benefits, the possibility of hosting it this year is not realistic as the venue for some of the activities like the Calabar International Conference Centre (CICC), Tinapa, have been looted and vandalised.
Odey also observed that the COVID-19 pandemic is not totally over hence holding the carnival, which normally attracts large crowds, may have devastating health effects on the state.
Supporting the motion, the Deputy Speaker, Joseph Bassey, reiterated that the COVID-19 pandemic the world over has recorded very high death rates and some countries are currently observing a second lockdown, hence organising the usual carnival will be unwise.
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