August 16, (THEWILL) – The Cross River State Governor says the Leboku Festival in the state has come to stay.
The festival is one of the major tourism activities in the state.
It is celebrated by the Yakurr people in Central Cross River State and the people use the festivial to celebrate the gods for a fruitful harvest.
The festival, which spans about 21 days, involves a number of activities including the beginning of the yam harvest, appeasing the gods, cultural display by maidens and many others.
Activities marking this year’s event which has as theme: “Ugep International Festival, an agro tourism event and a panacea for post covid-19 economy”, kicked off on Tuesday, with a press conference at the Umor-Otutu palace in Ugep.
Speaking at the event, Cross River governor, Prince Bassey Otu, said the globally known festival has come to stay as an agro-tourism in Cross River.
Otu, represented by his Chief of Staff, Hon Emmanuel Ironbar, explained that the government will continue to invest widely and wisely in Leboku Festival.
He added that his administration hopes to keep the event in the world map, especially as it represents a celebration of love, peace and fertility for the people of Yarkurr, the state and the nation.
“This is the season of sweetness and the sweetness will sweeten the activities of Leboku this year.
“The sweetness of the activity will be seen in the colourful event of the activities come August 20 and 21”, the governor assured.
Otu added that the will continue to grow from strength to strength as well as to create vistas of opportunities for investors both nationally and internationally.
On his part, Paramount Ruler of Yarkurr and Obol Lopon of Ugep, Obol Ofem Ubana Eteng, said, “The event takes place after four months of planting hence considered as a celebration after the hunger period.
The Royal Father explained that the date of the celebration is not changed as “Leboku Festival is not marked by Gregorian calendar but follows our traditional calendar.
“Leboku will continue, there is no year it will not hold. It is our major celebration, even if you fix elections on August 20, we will still hold Leboku.
“For me not to do Leboku, I better die because Leboku is a period when people leave hunger period to a period of plenty where foodstuffs are gotten.”
Chibuzor Akuchie, regional manager of MTN, said the service provider had in the past years embarked on infrastructure development of the area, adding that for this year, it will drive more on financial inclusion.
THEWILL Correspondent, Aniekan Bassey has over six years experience that spans across several fields in print journalism including development communication, sexual reproductive and health rights issues, crime, climate change, social justice, business and human interest stories.
