Carnival Calabar 2011;will be Bigger and Better!

As the 32-day Calabar Festival approaches, the Cross River State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Patrick Ugbe, has assured that this year’s edition of the event will offer a whole lot more than it has it the past years.

The Calabar Festival which kicks off on November 30, 2011 and ends on January 1, 2012, has over the years grown in popularity and acceptance across the country and even internationally.

The annual event which debuted about a decade ago, and has the 2-day carnival as its high point, has over the years witnessed innovations which have made each year’s event feel like a new experience. In keeping with the spirit, Ugbe said, and assured that “this year, it is much bigger and better than the previous ones we have been having.”

Last year’s edition of the event had recorded over 1.4 million visitors to the state.

According to him, “The Calabar Festival this year will be much much bigger than the previous ones we have been having. Artistes lined up are more exciting this year. We expect that the carnival this year will be much bigger than last year’s, because it has been growing year after year. Bigger and bigger. Last year there was virtually no space on the streets. This year we expect it to be bigger, but we are ensuring that everything will be in place.”

As a means to further boost the festival this year, he said, states will first and foremost presents an event tagged, “A Glimpse of Destination Cross River” which will hold in Abuja.

“We did the first one last year in Lagos. It was a huge success. What we are going to do is to showcase what A Glimpse of Destination Cross River is all about and what it has to offer – the 32 day Festival which climaxes with the 2 day Carnival parade which is the biggest street party in Africa,” he said.

According to the commissioner, part of the strategy to keep the event refreshing will be rebranding the state’s tourism programme. “The tourism brand is going to change. We are going to unveil our tourism brand when we take A Glimpse of Destination Cross River to Abuja and after that day, our tourism will wear a new look, new brand identity and we will have a new slogan. You must retool, constantly if you want to position yourself to be the number one which we are. You must stay ahead and the only way to do that is to reinvent yourself and that is the essence of rebranding,” Ugbe said.

Obudu Mountains ready to host the world!

Organisers of the 7th Obudu International Mountain Race say they have received “significant interest from foreign athletes”.

Mr Patrick Ugbe, the Cross River Commissioner for Information and Orientation, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Calabar that they were willing to come and compete.

Ugbe said that no fewer than 30 elite athletes from outside Nigeria had indicated interest to participate, while the list of local athletes would be fine-tuned by the LOC and the Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN).

He added that the organisers were expecting between 150 and 200 athletes for this year’s race.

Ugbe, also the Media Officer for the race, said the defending men and women champions, Abebe Dinkesa and Meselech Haileyesus respectively, had confirmed their participation in the race.

According to him, the race will hold on Nov. 26 at the Ranch Resort in Obanliku Local Government Area of Cross River.

Dinkesa, an Ethiopian, set the first race record of 41 mins 45 secs in the event in 2008 and became a two-time winner in 2010

“Abebe has confirmed that he will be coming to defend his title when Gov. Liyel Imoke of Cross River flags off the race at the Obudu Ranch Resort.

“Dinkesa’s compatriot, Haileyesus, the defending women champion, has also confirmed that she will be at the Obudu Ranch for this year’s race.”

He said the race organisers expected that Nigerians would take the star price of 50,000 dollars in the male and the female categories each this year.

“Many Nigerian runners are well prepared to run for the star price. We believe that because this race has been on for seven years now it is about time that Nigerians rise to take the star price.

“And we believe that they have been training, especially from the catchment areas where the mountain is.

“A lot of young people have been training seriously for this year and we believe that they will make an impact.”

The race is organised by the AFN and sponsored by the Cross River Government.

It enjoys support from the African Athletics Confederation (CAA), the World Mountain Running Association, (WMRA) and the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF)

Source: http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Home/5746982-146/obudu_mountain_race_organisers_delighted_with.csp

Calabar Festival:A Golf Tournament making a difference

Sen. Liyel Imoke, Executive Gov. Cross River State

Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River State has teed off the third edition of the Mary Slessor Golf Tournament at Calabar Golf Club Course to raise funds in support of Mrs. Obioma Liyel Imoke’s pet projects partnership Opportunities for Women Empowerment Realization (POWER), and “Mothers Against Child Abandonment” which is part of the ongoing Calabar Festival Programme.

The tournament, which Mrs. Obioma Imoke described as an inspiration from God attracted professional and amateur golfers from golf clubs through out the federation. Mrs. Imoke, who teed after her husband, explained that she has used her pet projects through the Carnival Calabar Queen, to discourage young girls from getting pregnant through abstinence from casual sex and if they should get pregnant by accident, they should not throw away or abandon their babies, but give them to Partnership Opportunities for Women Empowerment Realization ( POWER) to take care of the young mother and child.

Mr. Tobias Chidi of Ikeja Golf Club Lagos scored 137 points to chart the championship trophy and N200,000 cash prize in the professional category while Enaigbe O. of Benin Golf Club and Oyebanji G of IBB Golf Club Abuja, tied for the second place with 139 pints. In the amateur category one, Amadi S U of Port Harcourt Golf Club won the first prize with 152 points, Ideriah Solomon came second with 153 points while Kalio 1 of Calabar Golf Club came third with 154 points.

In a post presentation address, the third winner of the Mary Slessor charity Golf tournament Mr. Tobias Chidi described the tournament as pleasant experience as he spent four days in Calabar playing golf, adding his wish to come back next year to repeat the feat adding that the turf of the Calabar Golf club as one of the best in the country

The Director Operations Partnership Opportunities for Women Empowerment Realization (POWER), Mr. Celestine Okanya, described the Mary Slessor Golf Tournament as a charity event initiated by Mrs. Obioma Liyel Imoke to raise funds for her pet projects as well as develop golf in the country.

Mr. Okanya, said Mrs. Imoke has done this for the past three years and the participation has kept improving to achieve her goals which has equally impacted on some people as an empowerment programme. He disclosed that the winner of the tournament, Mr. Tobias Chidi is a physically challenged, who proved that he could do what able bodied men can do by winning the star prize, saying that about 30 professional golfers across the country participated in the golf tournament while the raffle ticket for the Mary Slessor Golf Tournament will be drawn on a later date.

The Tournament Director of Professional Golfers Association of Nigeria (PGA), Mr. Dominic Andrew, thanked Mrs. Imoke for assembling golfers from across the country in Calabar through her pet programme, promising that the level of participation in subsequent editions will be raised.