From Judex Okoro, Calabar
Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River has suspended the 2021 Calabar Carnival due to the outbreak of the new COVID-19 Omicron variant.
This is the second time that the annual Street party in Nigeria has been suspended. The annual event, introduced by former Governor Donald Duke to boost tourism potentials of the state, was first suspended in 2020 following the outbreak of the pandemic and this year, 2021, gain due to another new variant form of the pandemic.
Announcing the suspension of the 2021 Carnival at State Executive Council Chamber in Calabar on Monday, Ayade cited the health concerns arising from the outbreak of the Omicron variant as well as the prevailing security situation as reasons for the suspension.
He said he would not as a governor and leader compromise the lives and safety of the citizens for the fleeting excitement of the carnival.
Before announcing the suspension, Ayade had subjected the decision to popular votes, following which the majority of the stakeholders voted for the suspension of the carnival.
Stakeholders present at the meeting include carnival band leaders, speaker of the state house of assembly, Rt Hon Eteng Jones Williams, members of the state executive council, 18 local government chairmen and members of the Carnival Commission.
However, investigations by Daily Sun revealed that the government seemed not prepared for the yearly festival as there were no usual pre-activities such as the unveiling of the theme, marketing it to the outside world through media campaigns, organising dry runs that run through to December and rehearsals by revellers of different bands and other minor programmes signalling readiness for the event.
Sources close to the government house disclosed that the poor financial standing of the state may have been one of the reasons why stakeholders agreed to suspend the party.
It was also learnt that non-payment of salaries to civil servants and political appointees for about two months running may have been another reason for the postponement.
A top official of NLC had confided in our reporter that workers were said to be ready for a protest if the government had gone ahead to host the event amid poverty ravaging the workers following non-payment of salaries and gratuity to senior citizens who had served the state meritoriously.