Benue: Agila carnival assumes new status

NAN-H-77
Carnival
By Maureen Okon
Abuja, Sept. 12, 2017 (NAN) In a bid to boost tourism in the Benue South Senatorial District of Benue, the annual Agila Streets’ Carnival has now been transformed  into Idoma International Carnival.
Prince Edwin Ochai, the President of the carnival, on Tuesday in Abuja said the festival had been enlarged to include participants from the nine local government areas in the district.
Ochai said Otukpo, the headquarters of the Idoma nation, had been unanimously selected to host the festival between Dec.22 and Dec.25 every year.
He said the carnival was meant to bestow creative responsibilities on the people, adding that the brand would also build consensus and unity among the people.
According to Ochai, the initiative will be used to discover creative talents among the people and nurture them through exposure.
“Our people are naturally creative and good in what they do. We are committed to using this festival to harness this important human capital to the benefit of our various communities.
“ The aim also is to use this platform to attract our best in arts, sports, fashion, academia, economy, agriculture and business to facilitate the development of the area.
“We have come to the conclusion that the over-dependency on both the Federal and the State Governments for our survival was retrogressive.
“So we are lunching this brand to set the tone for our movement away from depending on governments for everything.
“Thank God, Otukpo, which is nicknamed Texas, will vitally play the best host for the carnival as it is central to all the Idoma villages, towns and other parts of the country,’’ he said.
The president said winners of competitions during the carnival would receive fantastic prizes that will include :cars, award of international scholarship and other bounties.

He also said awards for tour innovation development, community peace building networking programmes would be bestowed on people who distinguished themselves in those areas. (NAN)
ETIM/OMO/PAD

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Edited by Martins Odeh/Peter Dada
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