According to Mr Ekpeyong, the visitor inflow for the 2025 edition exceeded 2024 figures by about 24 per cent.
Mr Ojoi said that there was a 42 per cent growth in tourist attendance for the carnival compared with the 2023 statistics of the event.
He said the state would be considering establishing diaspora bands in 2025.
“When customers call for food or water, does it take up to 30 minutes before they are provided? Do we still have hotels with leaking roofs?” said an official.
He said the commission inherited 5,000 direct employments within the creative industry but could now boast over 40,000 through the carnival.
Calas Vegas performance exhibited the glory of Cross River.
The command warned all “potential” dealers and users of fireworks to desist from the illegitimate venture.
“The plan is not just for road transportation alone.’’
Some of the funseekers spoke in separate interviews in Calabar on Wednesday on the sixth day of the annual carnival.
The PDP chairman described Mr Ayade’s decision as a “singular action tantamount to rubbing salt on injuries.”
