Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Otu, states that making the Carnival Calabar International Festival a bigger platform remains one of his campaign promises.
Governor Otu gave the assurance on Thursday, while flagging-off the main event of the 2023 Carnival Calabar International Festival, where seven competing bands gave scintillating performances in competition for prizes.
“This is one of our campaign promises that we are definitely going to bring carnival back and on a bigger platform. What you have seen is the tip of the iceberg because we are going to move it to the next level,” the Governor remarked.
Commending sponsors for their immense support, he lauded tourists, visitors, and other fun seekers for gracing Calabar with their presence and savouring the spectacle.
Meanwhile, Calas Vegas Band, which is under the tutelage of former Minister of Culture and Tourism, High Chief Edem Duke, at the end of the show at the main bowl of the U. J. Esuene Stadium, Calabar, clinched the coveted top position of N10m of the N55m on offer.
Passion 4, the festival’s most successful band, came second, while Seagull Band settled for the third position.
Other competing Bands in the carnival parade include Bayside Band, Diamond Band, Freedom Band, Master Blaster Band, Passion 4 Band and Seagull Band.
In the Children Carnival Category, Passion 4 emerged winners, Seagull Band came second, while Calas Vegas came third.
Odukpani Local Government Area came first, Akpabuyo second and Calabar South third respectively.
For the Cultural Festival, Akwa Ibom State came first, Ebonyi State second, while Edo and Ondo States both came third in the States Category.
The Carnival Calabar was a display of innovation, theatre, ingenuity, culture, exhibition and interpretation of societal issues, as well as proffering of solutions.