Charles Ajunwa
All is now set for the 2025 Calabar Carnival following the third and final Dry Run. This year’s carnival themed ‘Traces of Time’, will mark the 20th anniversary of the iconic event.
According to organisers, the stage is all set for a month-long celebration of heritage, history and artistic expression.
Following the tradition of the Calabar Carnival, Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Edet Otu, led the official switch-on of the 2025 Christmas lights at Millennium Park, where he paid tributes to all his predecessors for sustaining the two-decade old carnival.
According to Governor Otu, the illumination symbolised not just the festive spirit but the values of unity, kindness and progress that Cross Riverians continue to uphold.
The edutainment-friendly governor, commended his predecessors for laying the foundation for the state’s development and identity.
He paid glowing tribute to former Governor Dr. Clement Ebri, recalling his strides in governance, infrastructure and media development, including the establishment of quality television broadcasting in the state and completion of the State Cultural Centre.
Ebri’s humility and leadership ethos, according to Otu, “aligned with current global governance standards.”
Otu also acknowledged the transformative era of Mr. Donald Duke, crediting him with repositioning Cross River as a world-class tourism destination. He highlighted Duke’s legacy projects—Carnival Calabar, the revival of Obudu Cattle Ranch, the establishment of Tinapa Business and Leisure Resort, and the founding of the Cross River University of Technology—describing them as “indelible footprints” that reshaped the state’s global image.
Otu commended former Governor Liyel Imoke for his focus on education, rural development and strict administrative procedures, noting that Imoke’s emphasis on renovating schools, reestablishing the College of Education and improving social welfare left a lasting mark on communities across the state.
To his predecessor, Senator Ben Ayade, Otu praised his industrialisation efforts, youth empowerment schemes and the creation of Cally Air, which put Cross River’s flag back in the skies, adding that Ayade’s political move to realign the state with the ruling party, ensured continuity in governance.
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