The 2014 edition of the annual carnival in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, popularly called Carniriv has started on a high note and the government has promised to make visitors to the beautiful city enjoy their stay during the period.
Carniriv is a tourism and cultural export project of the Rivers State Government, which has always attracted over half a million carnival lovers into Port Harcourt, the bustling capital city of Rivers state.
This year event is scheduled to run from the December 12 – 20.
Carniriv is arguably the biggest and oldest carnival brand in Africa.
The debut Miss Carniriv pageant, designed to crown the official face of the carnival, kicked off the event. Several pretty ladies took part in the beauty contest.
It would be recalled that at a recent parley with the media in Lagos, Director General and CEO of the
Rivers State Tourism Development Agency, Sam Dede, expressed optimism about the state of preparedness for the carnival.
‘We have pulled out all the stops to ensure that our guests enjoy every minute spent in Port Harcourt for Carniriv 2014. We are working assiduously with security bodies, health officials and the entire hospitality sector to guaranty safety of lives and utmost satisfaction during the duration of our carnival.’
This, the state government has fulfilled. Several people have trooped into the city and are enjoying the programmes lined up for the carnival.
Dede, a seasoned academic and actor, also told journalists at the parley that out of the original 13 events slated for the carnival only one, the Kids Carnival, will not hold as planned. He explained that the outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease earlier in the year led to an extension in the school calendar, thereby foreclosing the possibility of hosting the event when school was still in session. He was quick to point out that the carnival will witness an opening ceremony like no other on Monday the 15th while the closing ceremony holds on Saturday 20th at the Carnival Village, will be a most befitting climax to the carnival.
‘Every promise we made as far as the carnival is concerned will be met and we owe this to the support and exemplary leadership of our Governor, His Excellency, Honourable Rotimi Amaechi who, for instance, has made it possible for us to launch our 140 feet state-of-the-art performance stage which is the biggest of its kind in Africa. As this is his valedictory carnival outing we are going big so come expecting,’ he told newsmen.
