On Thursday, Calabar stood still as the parade of the bands took centre stage in the ongoing cultural festival christened ‘Carnival Calabar’.

The parade, which saw the various bands in colourful costumes dance through the 12-kilometre carnival route, also saw many residents, tourists, and fun seekers cheering them on.

Declaring the parade open, Governor Bassey Otu said they were bringing back the carnival in a bigger platform where it could truly be referred to as an international brand.

He added that the essence was ensuring that Cross River was the choice tourism destination in Nigeria.

Some of the tourists from Lagos said the carnival was the biggest street party in Nigeria.

Adebayo Adeyanju, a medical practitioner attending the carnival for the second time with his wife and two kids, said it was a spectacle to behold, adding that his kids were happy.

He, however, appealed to the Cross River government to develop other tourism potentials so that it would be an all-year-round activity, not just in December during the carnival.

“We have the Obudu Cattle Ranch that is no longer functional; we have the Agbokim Waterfall and even Tinappa. All these great tourist sites were pushed down due to poor management,” Mr Adeyanju stated.

Clara Frederick, a Canadian visiting Calabar for the first time, said she was having a good time as the residents treated her well and revealed that she would like to visit again in 2024.

Security officials were in different parts of the city, especially along the carnival route, with vehicular movements effectively diverted to forestall a reoccurrence of the 2022 incident where some people lost their lives, and many were injured by a recklessly driven vehicle which ran into the carnival route.

The various bands are expected to interpret the theme of the carnival, ‘The Season of Sweetness’.

They are expected to perform at different adjudication points where a panel will judge them, and the winning band will go home with a cash prize.

Some of the competing bands in the event include the Master Blaster Band and Seagull Band. 

Others are Diamond Band, Bayside Band, Passion Four Band, and Calas Vegas Band. 

(NAN)