From Jude Owuamanam, Jos
Jos, the Plateau State capital, was agog as activities marking the Christmas and New Year celebrations commences with beautiful display of activities, exhibitions, fashion parade, dance and music, as well as other entertainment.
The event featured series of artistes who rendered beautiful songs and titillating dances steps and road shows
The road show and procession commenced from the Secretariat Junction to the venue of the event, which is the Crest Hotel along Old Airport road.
Also, many Nollywood stars from across the country and other dignitaries, cultural custodians, traditional rulers and government officials graced the occasion.
Most of the speakers at the occasion pointed out that the cultural carnival symbolizes peace, tourism potential, investment hub of the state, saying this was contrary to the held belief that the state is crisis-ridden and unsafe.
Organizers of has equally expressed their readiness to successfully use the carnival to celebrate and advance ‘unity in diversity’ of the state as well as fostering harmony and mutual appreciation among its diverse ethnic groups.
Also, it was established that the vision of the carnival is to position the state as a global platform for cultural preservation, growth and appreciation, as well as inspiring pride, unity, and economic empowerment.
One of the organizers of the carnival, Stephen Onucheojo Okoh, said the whole essence of the carnival is to redeem the Plateau cultural heritage because so many cultures across the nation, Africa and the world at large have gone into extinction.
Okoh who is also a filmmaker, director and writer, and popularly known as Director Bishop, said that the carnival will serve as a reminder of the people’s culture and cultural life in the state’s heterogeneous society and from across the 17 local government areas.
He said so many people came from across the country and even abroad to witness the occasion because of its importance, adding that Plateau has always been a tourism destination and that the carnival is poised to rejuvenate the tourism sector of the state.
One of the Nollywood stars who graced the event, Kalu Ikeagwu, said this was his first time in the state, and that he has always been very curious to find out more about state because he has heard a lot about it, its divers cultures, people, events and lifestyles.
The Nollywood star said such carnival is imperative to the development of not only the cultures in the state, but also the entertainment, tourism and economic sectors of the state.
He said another benefit of carnival is that it enhances cultural exportation which makes people to be aware of the state’s cultures, exchange of ideas and by so doing stimulating investment to the state.
According to him, that is why Nollywood has interest in cultures across the country, and that is why the industry is doing strategic partnerships in that respect.
Ikeagwu also said Plateau has a lot of potentials in terms of tourism with the landscape, sceneries, waterfalls among others, agriculture and that he also enjoyed the cold weather in Jos which is the best in the country.
The convener of the carnival, Debrah Jalmet, said this year’s event marks the second anniversary of the carnival which’s aim is to project the state in a more positive light open up the state for positive development and investors, through advancing the culture and people of the state.
Jalmet notes that the ethbo-religious crisis and its attendant violence which rocked the state in the past 20 years has significantly subsided in the past few years, and that now there has been relative peace across many communities as well as Jos the state capital.
According to her, Plateau State is already open to peace, tranquility and unity because the people are already tired of crisis, and so they are using the carnival to strategically boost the well-being and progress of the Ssate as well as advance investment drive and economic empowerment.
She called on those outside Plateau and across the world to come to the state and take advantage of its potentials, hospitality and people and initiate their business ideas, buying and selling, render services and get good return on investment.
The Plateau State Director of Arts and Culture, Telzing Nden, while speaking said it is due to the developmental visibility of the carnival that makes the state government to partner with the organizers.
The Director said the concept of the whole thing is to promote peace and tourism, both Internationally and locally, and to show to the world that the government is solidly behind the carnival and will keep supporting and partnering with organizers and the convener in terms of Debrah Jalmet.
According to him, more of such impactful carnivals are needed in order to promote the tourism and related sectors of the state as government alone cannot drive the viable sectors in the state.
L