Africa: Why Gov. Ayade suspended Carnival Calabar's Gabe Onah

Reasons may have emerged why Professor Ben Ayade, the Executive Governor of Cross River State may have suspended Mr. Gabe Onah, Chairman of the Carnival Calabar.

The suspension of the multiple award winning Mr. Gabe Onah, a founding member of the think thank group that established the Carnival Calabar, came as an aftermath of the Carnival Calabar Award which held last Easter Saturday.

In a Press Release signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Christian Ita said that the suspension takes eff effect immediately.

Though no reason was given for the suspension but sources in Calabar say it is in connection with the first Carnival Calabar Awards that held on Easter Saturday in Calabar.

The awards were held without the official consent of the Governor who is the executive producer of the carnival.

Meanwhile Mr. Gabe Onah, the Chairman of the Commission has been on sick leave since November 2020 and had not been seen in public since then.

It is believed that he had travelled abroad for his health Challenge.

The commission had planned to honour 150 people who had contributed to the success of the 17 year Old Carnival. The award winners included Band Leaders, Revellers, Media and many support staff. But it is said that the Organisers did not get a written approval from the Governor.

The Governor did not attend the event and many Carnival personalities were absent including Senator Ita Giwa, the First Female Carnival Band Leader in the World and former Chairman of the Carnival Calabar Bands.

Many thought leaders have since appealed to the Governor to rescind the suspension for the sake of the brand.

Carnival Calabar is the biggest tourism event in Nigeria and the 3rd largest in the world. It has put Calabar on the Global Map.

It is tagged as Africa’s biggest Street Party attracting millions of visitors to Calabar every year.

It was suspended last Year because of Covid19.

Additional report was obtained from www.atqnews.com