The Cross River State governor, Professor Sir Ben Ayade has called for an abolition of all forms of restriction of movement and entry in all countries in the world.
The governor made the call in Calabar while declaring open this year’s Carnival Calabar which has as its theme “Humanity”.
The governor who was accompanied by his wife, Linda, deputy, Professor Ivara Esu as well as the wife of the former governor of Cross River State Onari Duke, said it’s inhumane to restrict movements into developed countries, which are extremely wealthy, thereby concentrating poverty in the other parts of the world.
He emphasised that as a result of this, humans have lost their humanity to the animals and have completely deviated from the original intention of creation, which was to create unfettered access to all societies and communities.
“I want to tell the whole world, and as I speak, I speak with a lot of melancholy, pain, agony and frustration, because in the course of man’s habitation of the earth, man has deviated completely and actually become animalistic and the animals have become more human.
“If exploitation must come to an end, we must unite because the restriction of movement in the world was not anticipated in the bible, it is not provided in the Koran, and neither is it provided in any religion.
“I call on all leaders to revisit the policy of restriction of movement so that the world can globalize and we can eliminate the scourge of extreme poverty so as to make the society what God wanted. Humanity is the only religion that any man should adopt.
“How do you allow extreme poverty in one section of the world and put a restriction in the wealthiest part of the world. Why do people experience the vicissitudes of going through the Mediterranean sea only to cross over and become a sex slave or a victim, where is the humanity, where is the human blood.
“The essence of being and creation was for us to add value to humanity, any endeavour that does not have the intention of adding value to humanity has failed”, the governor said.
The governor added that man has attached so much emphasis on religion forgetting that the only religion in the world is humanity and called for a reversal of the status quo.
“We are all gathered here for the carnival procession but beyond this is the message that man must change the way we live. If a human being can slit another human being’s throat, if we can kill someone just to take his properties, if you go to an accident scene just to steal from the victim, then you have lost your humanity”, he said.
Earlier in his address, the chairman of the State Carnival Commission, Gab Onah, said over the past four years innovative ideas have been brought into the carnival to help address key societal concerns.
He said ranging from themes such as Climate Change, Migration and Africanism, Carnival Calabar has succeeded addressed these concerns and also based on the participation of states across the country, the festivities has brought Nigeria under one umbrella, and also provided a true platform for cultural security and to change lives.