BRING MORE CULTURAL, ARTS EVENTS TO PH, GOV FUBARA TASKS ABUJA CARNIVAL ORGANISERS

•To Launch Talent Hunt For Rivers Youths Soon

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has challenged organisers of the just-concluded Abuja International Carnival 2024 to prove their conviction as true by bringing mega cultural and arts events to the city of Port Harcourt.

The organisers had said that their visit to Port Harcourt was first-hand experience to correct the negative media framing of Rivers State, which they described as orchestrated to deny the State of the benefits of culture and tourism-related activities.

The Governor vehemently pointed to the heritage-rich and blossoming hospitality of Rivers people, prevailing peace, the abundant infrastructural components, beautiful public facilities and ongoing regeneration of neighborhoods that can offer unforgettable experience to participants of such shows when organised in the State.

Governor Fubara gave the challenge when the Rivers State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dr. Israel Lebura Ngbuelo, led organisers of the Abuja International Carnival 2024 and delegation of the Rivers Team to the carnival, to present the trophy they clinched as the overall winner of the festival, and other laurels at Government House in Port Harcourt on Tuesday evening.

Rivers troupe topped the medal list with the ‘Best Carnival Float’, ‘Best Carnival King’, ‘Best Carnival Queen’, ‘Best Performance’, ‘Best Carnival Costume’ and ‘Best in Indigenous Nigerian Fashion Parade’, and emerged as the Overall Winner of the 2024 Abuja International Carnival competitive events.

The Governor said, "This is one of the most peaceful States, that is the truth. Apart from the political propaganda that you hear and read on social media, we are a very peace-loving and accommodating people.

"So, we want to thank the organisers too for organising this wonderful festival in Abuja. Over the years, Rivers State has always been outstanding when it comes to these festivals."

Governor Fubara stated: "To the organisers, when you are coming again, come with more things. You have seen that Rivers State is a fertile ground for events, bring good events that will engage our youths. Don't bring those things that will create problems for us. Bring things that will promote the good side of the State. So, we will be expecting to hear from you.


Governor Fubara noted that the Rivers troupe conquered the festival and returned home gloriously, noting: "And I also believe that it will not be in our own administration that things will now start falling apart in our hands. You need to do better and better. So, I am happy that we came back with the overall best and with a lot of otherside awards. It shows that we were really prepared, and we showed our preparedness in that event."

He expressed delight at the kind words used by the Chief Executive Officer, Abuja International Carnival, Mr Kehinde Adegbite, when he described the rich experience of a peaceful Rivers State, enviable night life, hospitable and courteous people, serene and clean roads, and lovely environment.

Governor Fubara challenged the media to rise above the deliberate injection of negativity on the minutest one-off sad episode in Rivers State which they used to represent the State consistently, urging that the negative portrayal of Rivers in the media must stop because it served as a disservice to the State.

He explained some of his plans towards giving culture and tourism a boost with platforms created to discover talents, saying, "What is the duty of government? Is it not to provide the enabling environment, give the necessary support, and make the people happy?

"You can imagine what we have done here. We didn't make announcement, and we didn't advertise it. But the number of youths from our State that were involved in that Abuja International Carnival was overwhelming.

Governor Fubara said the success that the Ministry of Culture and Tourism is celebrating is also a success to reckon with his administration, and thanked the Commissioner for working cooperatively with his Permanent Secretary to achieve the feat.

In his speech, the State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dr. Israel Lebura Ngbuelo, informed the Governor that the support he provided the ministry energized them to attend the carnival, and emerge as overall best.

Also speaking, the CEO/Executive Director, Abuja International Carnival, Mr Kehinde Adegbite, who is also known as Mallam Yankee, said from the day they arrived to the very last day of the carnival, Rivers Team distinguished itself, was outstanding and adjudged the overall best.

Mr Adegbite promised that his experience of Port Harcourt has erased all negative portrayal of the State, adding that he is more determined to bring more shows to the city of Port Harcourt because it is alluring than most of the cities that international and national shows are staged.

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