A carnival in Imo State in 2014 would be a wonderful thing for everyone, looking at the fact that we missed it in 2012 and 2013.
The word ‘carnival’ has actually started sounding like something that will never be our culture again no matter how hard we try in Imo State. With the likes of Rivers and Cross River States holding theirs consistently, Imo State has been missing in action for two years now, while the 2011 edition which should haved helped our record was alleged to have been a platform to extort upcoming artistes who were said to have paid some money to be auditioned into the performance list.
If we can let the past be; but not forgetting it. Facing the present and the pasts very close it, we will see that we are very close to making another huge mistake that will not only affect the present administration come 2015, but will affect the mindset of every entertainer in the state as well an average Imolite who has interest in the carnivals.
In 2012, Mr. Buchi George who was the chairman of Imo Carnival 2011, threatened to stop the 2012 edition because Imo State government was owing him about N34m which he used to organized the 2011 Carnival. That year, the event did not hold. In 2013, we saw a similar thing where a date was fixed and the event ended up not holding as well.
Now we are in 2014, a year before 2015, another Carnival has been scheduled for Tuesday May 6 – Tuesday May 13, 2014 and it still looks like nothing is going to happen in the state.
When Rivers State had their carnival last year, the hashtag #CarniRivs was already trending on social media weeks before the event; newspapers, blogs, TV and radio stations in the state were giving out detailed information to the people because the organizers knew the power of publicity.
So far, no Facebook page or Twitter handle is being promoted for the event, only flyers scattered in some eateries, radio jingle playing in some radio stations as well as few newspapers publications have been done as publicity. No posters are on the streets, no road show to promote it and not even a single blogger in the state has made a post for the event.
The arrangement is simply poor showing that we are not yet ready for a carnival. If we are not ready for a carnival, we should better tag along with our usual Ozuruimo, which has been working for us.
If we carefully peep into the carnival from the windows of the present Imo State government; the organizers of the event; the opposition party; Imo traders and finally the entertainers in the state, we will see that so far, only the government are the true beneficiaries of the event.
PRESENT IMO STATE GOVERNMENT:
Do not blame me if I say this, but the fact that the present government has enjoyed the skipping of the carnival for the last two years and have decided to hold it in 2014, a year before the famous 2015, means the event will surely turn political.
The state government will surely take advantage of the large number of people who will be attending the event to sell their brands. Probably sell APC or give out souvenirs with the face of the present governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha and his achievement.
Our culture and other talents will be displayed as well but politicians will always be politicians. To them, this is what the carnival is all about. Another day to bring Imolites together, another day to share the legacy of the administration.
THE ORGANIZERS OF THE EVENT:
With the main organizers comprising of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Culture, Mr. Paddy Obinna who is also the Chairman of the planning committee and the Special Assistant to the Governor on Administration, Miss Nkiru Sylvanus who is also the secretary of the committee, the event is expected to take two sways.
With Mr. Obinna being a lover of arts and culture, he is expected to see that he lives a legacy that will transform the culture of Imo State, having listened to him speak on several occasions before he assumed his present political office.
Miss Nkiru Sylvanus being a Nollywood actress, is expected to bring in the contemporary swag to the event and she is expected to bring in the contemporary performances that will be witnessed at the event.
So far their efforts with others in the committee cannot be rated high because some people in the state are not still aware of the event.
THE OPPOSITION PARTY:
A peep from their window will lead to some funny political conclusions. They will be seeing this event as something that should never hold. It will be a waste of state’s resources on something that will end up making the incumbent governor more popular.
They are working tirelessly to unseat governor Rochas Okorocha and the fact that the governor had recently convened 25,000 youths at Heroes Square, and still planning another event that will be bringing in all ages, means they will have more work to do in erasing the memories of the governor’s speech from the brains of these Imolites.
Somehow, their opinions does not really matter and will in no way affect the success or failure of the event unless they back it up with actions.
IMO TRADERS
In statement through their president, the traders had already stated that the proposed closure of the market during the carnival will foist untold hardship on the traders and the entire people of Imo State.
This is so unreasonable, because the meaning of carnival is not public holiday and it would be funny to force people to attend a poorly packaged event especially one they do not have interest in.
Any form of intimidation to make the traders lock their shops, will further cement the allegation of dictatorship on the present government.
I think the traders should reject the move and whosoever it is that brought the idea is not worthy of being in that committee.
If the event is well packaged, interested traders will voluntarily lock up their shops and attend the event. No one should be forced to attend an event where it is certain that performing artistes, groups and organizers will getting paid while they walk home with nothing but a legacy of wasted time on an event they have no interest in.
ENTERTAINERS IN THE STATE:
These are last but the most important group at the end. When states like Enugu, Rivers and Cross River States hold similar events, entertainers smile home will a good amount of money. It is somehow a different story in Imo State where till the proposed kickoff, none of the top artistes in the state has been contacted to perform at the event which has been rumoured to have Wizkid, Phyno, Ice Prince and others as guest artistes.
It will be a big shame if all we are good at is paying state’s money to outsiders when Imolites are hungry. Is this the directive of Governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha or just one of the errors of the organizers whom so far have not done enough for the event to be called a carnival.
Is also rumoured that some of the guest artistes have arrived Owerri ahead of the kickoff but nothing has been done for the homegrown artistes.
An insider has it that some of the top artistes have been listed to perform, but so far none of them has been contacted.
If anyone puts the blame on the governor, he will surely be right because he has not done anything to show that he has the interest of entertainers at heart after scrapping the office of the SA on Entertainment which his predecessor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim kept alive.
If the carnivals ends of holding under the nose of Imo State based entertainers without them making a move to make their voice heard, they will have themselves to be blamed because this is 2014; anything anyone does not get now will end up being a political gift in 2015 and it will only last for few months, with the guarantee of lasting longer if the governor is reelected.
