Calabar Carnival serves taste of Efik culture

The late Efik popular highlife musician, Inyang Henshaw later popularized this in a song, which is still being played in all Efik and Ibibio homes and in Diaspora with relish till this day. This connotes that before now particularly in the old times the celebration of Christmas, not really with religious undertone as it is […]

The late Efik popular highlife musician, Inyang Henshaw later popularized this in a song, which is still being played in all Efik and Ibibio homes and in Diaspora with relish till this day.

This connotes that before now particularly in the old times the celebration of Christmas, not really with religious undertone as it is done today, was usually held highly and celebrated with fanfare all over Efik lands.

The celebration of Christmas or end-of-the-year festival had always been with traditional dances and other cultural displays which were believed to venerate, re-enact or celebrate the return of ancestors in such forms.

Then as it is presently happening with the formal acknowledgement of Christmas Carnival in Calabar by the state government, the indigenes at home and in foreign lands usually look forward to every end of the year. They would plan ahead for all to meet at home for the celebration.

Those who would be unable to travel from their distant stations for whatever reasons would usually assemble themselves at their places to re-enact the celebration with all forms of native dances, display of popular Efik traditional wears, drinks, forklore and other merriments.

Speaking recently about the Efiks and their deep interest in culture in his palace when he conferred chieftaincy titles on four prominent Nigerians, the Obong of Calabar, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi Otu V said, “The Efik people have an entrenched culture that sets them apart from others and this has stretched over 600 years. From time, the Efiks have had a unique culture associated strongly with their venerable and celebrated tradition, which remains a deep sense of admiration. Our culture has continued to flourish till today.”

It is not surprising that today the government has completely popularized, modernized and promoted the ancient practice of making fun out of marking the end-of-year in Calabar to this level.

Former Governor of Cross River State, himself a native of Efik, Mr. Donald Duke  said in 2003 or thereabout when he started out with the annual Christmas festival in the state that the celebration was native to the city and the government only wanted to glamourise it, a project the state rake in more money.

Governor Liyel Imoke has even given more verve and consolidated on this, especially with the coming in of many more big-time investors, like Dangote Plc, First Bank Plc, Guinness Nigeria Plc, etc to promote the festival, now called Carnival Calabar.

“This celebration has since been made into a global brand such that we now have increasing number of persons and corporations angling to be part of this epoch-making annual celebration,” Imoke told newsmen in the state November 2011 at Transcorp Metropolitan Hotel when he formally announced the commencement of 2011 Carnival Calabar.

“Unlike when we used to go sourcing for funds and we were literarily begging sponsors or partners to make the carnival what we intended it to be, but now it is the reverse as we may soon be selecting those to partner us in this annual Christmas party, arguably the largest street party in Africa lasting over 30 days,” boasted the governor.

To buttress the governor’s assertion, the Nigerian Breweries Plc was not considered as a major sponsor of the event this year. When they displayed their company’s logo and products at the Cultural Centre Calabar one of the major venues for the Carnival, a recognized sponsor, Guinness, which erected 150 stalls all over the expansive Centre and gave them out free to willing restaurateurs and other business people, had to force out the NB Plc, which   moved to a house on Barracks Road, an adjacent street, near the Cultural Centre to display their logo and products.

It is understood that the authorities of the Cross River State Carnival Commission apologised and urged them and other willing partners to identify their interest next year beforehand. The commission has advised them to be ready to meet their terms and conditions since they now select those they think can fit into their bill.

With so much money at the disposal of the Commission courtesy of blue-chip firms falling over themselves to bankroll the Carnival, they were able to attract many   artistes, visitors, tourists and dignitaries to promote and add colour to it.

According to Gov. Imoke, “last year there were about four million visitors to the state and majority of them participated in the Carnival.  This year, the government has only supported the Carnival with six million Naira, and we are expecting even a higher number of people with the goodwill and partnership the Carnival has enjoyed from sponsors.  This way, we are intending to make it outlive us and self-sustaining.”

Although, the official figures of this year’s participants was yet to be given, but it can be said that the celebration witnessed teeming attendance not only from the state, but across the country.  It also presented varieties of innovative and qattractive concepts, bordering on national psyche. This is because the many dance or cultural troupes and choreographic groups displayed colourful attires.

The presence of Nigerians from all tribes as well as top functionaries like the Central Bank of Nigeria governor, Lamido Sanusi who now makes it an annual ritual; the huge turnout of the Hausa community in Bogobiri area of Calabar, the Yorubas that help to put finesse to some preparations, too, bolstered the celebration.

Adamu Usman is a nail-cutter in Bogobiri and sometimes makes a living out of selling water in jerry cans. He told Weekly Trust that he absolutely enjoys the displays every year.

“I enjoy looking at the beautiful young women who take part in the long trek,” the 28-year-old said happily,” adding that some of them are his friends.

“The different masquerades, especially those ones by the young boys and the attires by the women make a lot of meaning to me. The wisdom behind the construction of cultural wheels that help in rolling some band leaders really show that much money has been sunk into this thing”, an onlooker, Edward James said enthusiastically.

For Hajia Aisha Abdulkadir who had come out with her stool alongside fellow housewives and children and sat in front of the Bogobiri mosque, “It is all fun. We are having nice times,” she said. She said the celebration by the government brings happiness to the people of the state irrespective of where anyone comes from. “Our children had looked forward to this carnival, and some of them are even participating in some of the bands,” said Hajia.

Other youths said Christmas time in Calabar affords them unique opportunity to watch and dance with famous musicians that the government usually invites to thrill each day of the 32-day event.

Twenty-three-year old Josephine Imoh, a 200 level University of Calabar student now lives in Uyo, capital of Akwa Ibom State since the closure of the University following last student rampage.

She said, as a member of Freedom Band, one of the five major bands registered by the Corporate Affairs Commission for the Carnival, she had to return to Calabar to participate in the lengthy rehearsals.

Josephine said the Calabar carnival is more elaborate and interesting. “The Calabar Carnival is more elaborate.  It has more features like the children street party usually on December 26 before the main one. There are lots to see. You can see this year’s has more creativity, and with the caliber of participants, I think Calabar festival has more to offer.”

Posting on his wall on facebook recently, one Isaiah Akpan Udo of the ‘Facebook Bethel’ said, “Calabar Carnival is the best.  I am proud that I come from there. My ambition as an artiste is to also feature in it next year.”

However, not many see this effort of government in this light. A government critic like Dr. Theo Onyuku, formerly of the Labour Party, has continually condemned the carnival, saying it promotes prostitution, especially amongst the young people and that it is a sheer waste of scarce government funds.

In a telephone chat, he said “whereas government is unable to pay its workers yet they are wasting scarce funds to import foreign cultures that promote promiscuity and prostitution, thereby increasing the HIV/AIDS spread.