Jimitota Onoyume
14 December 2008
Port Harcourt — It is no longer in doubt that the much sought after peace has finally returned to Port Harcourt. The cultural carnival that held penultimate Friday and Saturday in Port Harcourt, the state capital, was a bold statement on the issue of peace in the state.
For those who are familiar with the history of the state, they would recall that the last time a carnival of this magnitude held in the state was about fourteen years ago under a military administrator.
The emergence of civilian leadership in 1999 gave birth to a culture of violence in the state. Politicians who sought territorial control created private armies from youths to pursue this vision. The end result was what many later termed rivers of blood as many of these youths were cut down in their prime.
Later sinister structures like cult groups and militia bodies sprang up in nearly all parts of the state with names like Deebam, Dewell, etc. According to the state House of Assembly, in 2004 alone, the state had over a hundred cult groups operating under different names and banners.
The state then was likened to Thomas Hobbes theory of the state of nature that was characteristically brutish, insecure with man living in perpetual danger and fear of death. Rivers State then lost some of its bright, flamboyant politicians to assassins. Water ways became unsafe to travel as sea pirates under different names took over the rivers.
The security situation was really very very bad. Since he came on board as governor of the state, Rotimi Amaechi has been everywhere, saying that peace has finally returned to the state. But not many took him serious until this cultural carnival, code named Carniriv, held successfully in the state, for two days.
Amidst very tight security, people of the state celebrated this first cultural carnival organized by the government. Police and naval helicopters were deployed for aerial surveillance as cultural troops danced on major streets in Port-Harcourt.
To ensure full participation, government declared a public holiday in the state on the Friday the event took off. And as early as10.00 a.m., the ever busy Port Harcourt/Aba Road was already agog as masquerades and cultural troops from the various ethnic nationalities in the state took over every available space on the road showcasing their rich cultures.
Traffic came to a halt on Aba Expressroad down to Aggrey Road for several hours. Akwa Ibom and Cross River states, among others, also showed solidarity by turning up for the event in their rich cultural heritage. Masquerades freely gyrated on the streets with onlookers also dancing to musical rendition from live bands in moving trailers and other heavy duty vehicles.
It was a day of fun for many. Some youths danced along with the long queue of vehicles in their jeans and T-shirts. Some political parties were not left out of the celebration. Amaechi, who also marched with the surging crowd for hours, told newsmen around Azikiwe Road that the whole idea of the event was to show to the world that peace had fully returned to the state.
He said his administration was proving that government emanates from the people. "This is not a rented crowd as you can see. This crowd started with us since 11.00 a.m. We are changing the face of governance. We want to show the world that government can emanate from the people. This will be an annual thing,"the governor added.
Later at about 5.30p.m. that Friday the crowd assembled at Sharks Stadium where songs of the late Cardinal Rex Lawson rented the air from the podium for some time. The stadium was filled to capacity. In his address, the deputy governor, Engr. Tele Ikiru, who stood in for the governor, thanked the crowd for the show of love to the government. "I am indeed very delighted to address you this evening on behalf of the governor.
The governor has asked me to thank all of you. It is the first time we are giving our people opportunity to showcase their culture." He urged those who could not turn up in their costumes for the event to endeavour to do so next year.
Though the carnival was a huge success, there were attempts by some suspected militants to disrupt the programme.
Return of peace
As early as 5.00 a.m. that Friday they came out shooting around the Town Area of the state capital. They were later repelled by men of the Joint Task Force, JTF. To also confirm the return of peace in the state, Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria, PETAN, last week, held their annual general meeting in the state capital with the theme, Port-Harcourt Means Business, Invest Now; It Makes Sense? The statement by the public relations officer of the body, Mr. Bank Anthony Okoroafor, urged investors to come back to the state as it had become very peaceful.
"This AGM and award ceremony are a deliberate attempt of PETAN to showcase to the whole Nigeria that, no matter all the bad publicity, Port-Harcourt and Niger Delta still remain a hub to do business in this great country," he stated.
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