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| Gov Ayade in his scorpion trite during the Carnival Calabar 2017 |
Efio-Ita Nyok|6 January 2018
Simon Utsu has endorsed the performance of the Carnival Calabar 2017 which has largely been condemned by some especially Pamela Braide.
For Utsu, such criticism on a pragmatic level is ‘demarketing the state’.
Simon Utsu :
I’ve read several reactions from ‘local’ critics condemning the Cross River state government for ‘squandering’ 6 billion Naira to host the 2017 Calabar carnival. Some others took out time to condemn (scathingly) the organization of this year’s carnival. I’ve not bothered to ‘verify the veracity’ of the (6 billion) figure —it could be concocted for all I care but that’s not even the point. My question for the armchair critics is: what do you gain from demarketing your state?
Tis scenarios like these that make me appreciate Donald Duke’s treatment of such armchair critics during his time as governor. It’s only witchcraft that would make someone do everything within his powers to bring down his state due to political or ethnic differences.
I wasn’t in Calabar for the carnival but the images and videos I saw were very colorful and a sharp contrast from the bile APC and anti-Ayade people poured online. For the record, I’m not an Ayadeist!
Earlier today, a colleague of mine who isn’t a Cross Riverian, asked me why I didn’t travel for the carnival and told me he watched it on DSTV. He shocked me when he told me he saw John Boyega in the carnival train(I wasn’t aware!).
For those who don’t know, John Boyega is the hottest (brightest prospects) young black actor in the world at the moment! Some say he’s the next Denzel. He’s the star of Star Wars. And the latest release from the Franchise, “the last Jedi” crossed the 1 billion USD box office mark few days ago; a couple of months after its release! Which is outrageously spectacular! I then perused John Boyega’s Twitter TL and saw this (which I’ve attached) tweet about the carnival! Do you know the million dollar potential such a kinetic tweet from a superstar like John Boyega possesses?
Cross River critics and anti-Ayade people I know you people can criticize very well but please use your brains whenever it concerns the tourism industry which for now is the mainstay of your state’s economy! Them no dey carry family quarrel go outside! #selah
Pamela Braide
The Ayade administration needs to review the mess it is making of our hard earned carnival and even festival in general.
How can carnival start at 5pm and still be on at 3 am as I type? Update it is 6am. TIRED troupes are giving a lackluster edition of what used to be the most electrifying part of the night.
Attention was focused on placing useless speakers on parts of Marian instead of lighting for dstv and others covering it. So coverage halted until they got to the stadium. Too dark. We have lost viewing content.
The beauty of Cross River carnival was after each one there is a meeting of bands and leaders and officials including medical and logistics teams with NO HOLDS BARRED critique in front of the governor. Suggestions and even hot quarrels make the next one better. I wonder if anyone has the guts to tell this particular Governor the truth or if it even reviews still hold.
I saw no headline sponsors. I hear because of clashing appointees with poorly defined positions our constituted agencies where unable to do the simple sponsorship drives we have done for 14 years now each raking in more cash than the last. Everyone and no one was in charge. The bodies by law mandated to work have been stripped of running costs and authority to act unopposed by all manner of appointees. All the young and I stress YOUNG appointees of this govt where unable to simply reproduce the sponsorship brochures and proposals from old templates and hit the streets at a time when local events are king. We shamefully could not even muster the energy to engage past sponsors. Did we expect them to come to us?
No one could stand up and say we must start procession in daylight. No one could advise against blocking roads 3 days straight. No one could explain that the carnival date is gazetted for 27th December and appears thus in intl carnival calendars. Why shift the dates without rhyme or reason. People actually travelled down expecting it to be 27th.
So many advisers and no advice. So much youth in power and no dynamism, courage of conviction or even direction. This is not a good look.
No one toys with the sort of structure, capacity and attention we have built with our December events in and age where attention is money. It’s not too late to turn this around. Talk to your principal. Be courageous. You are not an asset if you don’t.
Editorial:
Between Utsu’s and Braide’s position, who do you take sides with? Have your say : as for the present author, I stand with Braide.
Utsu’s idea of ‘criticism demarketing the state’ is already troubling. What do we want to market —the sham Braide has highlighted?
For crying out loud : The carnival was poorly conducted, short and simple! If this is denarketing, so be it, it’s for an anticipated positive impact. But, I may be wrong.
Efio-Ita Nyok
Is a Blogger, Editor-in-Chief & Publisher of NegroidHaven
