By Jimoh Babatunde
The city of Calabar was literarily on a stand still  Monday as the city was coated in multiple colours with revelers as  yet another carnival took place under the theme,  “Our  strength and Resilience; the bedrock of our people.

The chosen by the Governor of the state, Liyel Imoke,  after  entries received in a competition opened to all Nigerians  for a theme for Calabar Carnival 2010 failed  to me the standard  and quality set for the carnival.

The theme is apt because it talked about the strength and resilience of Cross Riverians and Nigerians from pre-colonial  and colonial time. Nigerians have  been through a lot and have always pounced back.

Governor Imoke, it was learnt, chose the theme because of what the state has gone through in recent time.

The person behind the Calabar Festival,  Elenda Dokubo said  Cross rivers state is a good example of strength and resilience, “what we  have been through , we lost our oil wells and were still able to put out the best carnival last year. That is the strength and resilience of the people called Cross Rriverians.”

She added that they also own the success  they have achieved to other Nigerians who come to celebrate the carnival with  them also.
“Carnival Calabar  is no longer a Cross River product,  it  is even beyond Nigerian that is why  it is called Africa biggest street party .

“There is no where in Africa or any where in the world that  I know that has 36 days festival  and we still have to go to work because the governor will not give us time off.

So, will do the work, come back  and we put out  the show.”

For the revelers on the street of Calabar that cover the over 12km distance of the Carnival that climaxed the 36days Calabar festival 2010, it was in indeed fun all the way  as the five bands tried to undo one another in the interpretation of the  theme.

There will be no carnival without the  five bands- Bayside; Freedom; Mastablaster; Seagull and Passion 4.

Each of the bands has notable Cross Riverians as leaders and the leaders of each band are so passionate about the success of their bands as they do all within their means to come out  with  the best of costumes.

Seagull Band has Senator
Ita Giwa as its leader. Like she does every year, this year she brought in known faces in the Nollywood into her band, but the biggest attraction of the Seagull’s float  was the Big Brother Africa winner, Uti Nwachukwu.

The Minister of Environment, Mr. John Odey, led the Bayside band, the band this year missed the flamboyant former Governor, Donald Duke and  his wife Onari, who do  attract attention to the band.

The Freedom band is where the Deputy Governor  of the state and his wife  belong, just as   the Passion 4 band  which has Chris Aigbe  as its leader.

The Mastablaster that pride itself as  the spirit of the carnival has  Bassey as its leader

The  credits  of the carnival success  most go to all the bands and their band leaders  who are very passionate  that they put their money into having  good outing as the government  merely give them subventions  which really does not cover their cost. “So they have these very passionate people, who inspite  of all the odds still make sure we host the carnival every year.” Said Elenda of the Carnival Commission.

When the Governor of  Cross River State, Liyel Imoke accompanied by his wife, the Governor of Bauchi State, Mallam Isa Yuguda and the Governor of  Central Bank among other declared the Carnival opened at the Millinium Park at about 3pm, the bands rolled out in their  beautiful costumes  and hope of  winning the star prize of N10m.

With the various bands  filing out for adjudication, Bayside band went down memory lane  to the golden era of  when agriculture was the main stay of the economy, the band also showcased  the nation various mineral resources  as well tourism  and culture which it described as a way of life.

The Seagull band presented  unity in diversity from pre-colonial  era  in the various kingdoms like Benin, Calabar, Kanuri and Fulani kingdoms to the colonial era where the influence of the colonial masters became  dominant .

Passion 4 passionately commands an array of largely-slender gazelle-legged, beautiful girls who captivated the audience with tasteful smiles, dances and tempting curves. In their multiple colours principally driven by everything green, they colonized the streets and gave the best of African art full with songs, dance, humour and riddles.

It was not surprising that the band retained the first prize of N10m with the Seagull and Mastablaster coming behind .