Sociologists postulate that society is dynamic and therefore in a state of flux. In other words, it is naturally expected that certain activities and events in societies ought to do undergo changes since is said that the only thing that remains permanent in the physical world is change. It has become apparent that people and governments in the country have been making a fetish of carnivals and cultural festivals irrespective of the infiltration of quixotic inputs in some carnivals like the yearly carnival in Calabar, Cross River state; and injection of unhidden idolatry in the supposed “rich culture of our people” of virtually all the ethnic groups in Nigeria. It has become apparent that people with civilied perception of life and those who have chosen to worship God in the spirit and in truth, have expressed disenchantment and disgust over the dress code and sundry untoward frivolities all in the name of showcasing our supposed rich culture in the carnivals and cultural festivals. The former governor of Cross River state, Donald Duke had introduced carnival held every year in the state capital, Calabar. People were told that the essence of the public event was to explore sources of revenues in the hospitality and tourism industry. Along the line, morally conscious Nigerians expressed displeasure on how men and female participants in the carnival tie rope around their groins, weave leaves of trees and pin on their bodies and design card-board papers for their heads as costume which largely expose their bodies. Observations showed that indigenous troupe blindly copy the appearances of troupes invited from foreign countries. Ignatuis Akah who expressed outrage with the morally outrageous and unsightly appearances among the participants believed that the Cross River state government appeared to have thrown caution to the wind in over-looking the devastating impact on the youths. He said: “The initiator of the yearly carnival, Donald Duke has laid bad precedence by not taking cognizance of the moral implication of allowing females to expose the sensitive parts of their bodies probably to be a copy-cat of the pastime of citizens from foreign countries who do not regard women going partially naked as anything bad. “The Cross River state government is making a fetish of yearly carnival believing that it is a source of revenue to government and income to small business outfits, while ignoring the destruction of morals of the youths. “To tolerate carnival troupes appearing half-naked in the arena; more so the female foreign troupe is not only out of sync with any Nigerian ethnic’s cultural values but repulsive to public morality and Christian faith. The supposed revenues being generated by may not compensate for the damage already done to the psyche of the youths”. An elderly man who has lived in Cross River state , Chris Obodoechi, perceived the yearly Calabar carnival as uncalled for in view of the dearth of basic amenities and infrastructural facilities in the rural communities. Carnival would not add value to the standard of living of the rural dwellers and people in the sub-urban towns. He said: “Men and young boys mope and salivate at the virtual naked female foreign troupes who brazenly expose their body contours, thighs and breasts. It is shameful that top government officials like the former minister of culture and tourism, Edem Duke painted their faces with card-board papers, looking rather naïve in the name cultural carnival. The former governor Donald Duke rode on the ‘Monster bike’ probably bought with huge public fund that could have been spent to rehabilitate many dilapidated primary schools in the state; in fact it is frivolity writ large. “It is shocking that the rural, semi-urban and urban communities lack basic amenities and infrastructures while the existing ones are progressively deteriorating due to lack of budgetary provisions. The governors blindly chose to copy foreign countries pastimes where the citizens have taken basic amenities, infrastructural facilities, free education, free health-care delivery and sundry social welfare programmes for granted”, he concluded. An evangelist who does not want his name in print said that Calabar carnival bears close resemblance with cultural festivals in Nigeria and Africa where participants indulge in reprehensible outfit, appearing half naked and dance like drunkards in the name show-casing the so-called rich cultures. He said: “In a cultural festival in one of the Yoruba speaking states, men appear in women attire and bids as a mark of respect to the goddess who founded their communities. It might be the same idolatrous beliefs that make Warri people prefer tying wrapper as their supposed cultural attire. Even traditional rulers abandon trouser for wrapper which is ridiculous. “Some supposed cultural attires draw disenchantment from the adherents of some Christian religious denominations like penticostal churches. It is poor intellectual perception to copy the fore-fathers’ dress code as ‘rich culture’ because in the hoary past, people wallowed in primitive way of life; idolatry was the spiritual value, poverty was pervasive which could not afford people have decent clothing material hence they put on all sorts of things like leaves, feathers and hides of slain animals. People worshipped deities and organised festivals to appease gods and goddesses since they were ignorant of the true God and his will and had to be directed by fetish priests to do the biddings of deities which threaten to punish them if they fail to carry out the directives. “In this day and age, Christianity and clear understanding of the bible has opened the spiritual eyes and ears of the believers and liberated from ancestral bondage. The word of God in the Bible is the barometer to examine customs, traditions, carnivals and cultural activities; and serious minded Christians should be bold and consistent to resist being dragged into cultural festivals of their traditional rulers and leaders of town unions which clearly at variance with their religious doctrines and sensibilities”. Expressing disenchantment and disavowal on the perennial government spending on carnivals and cultural festivals at the expense of civilized policies, programmes and projects to accord top priority to human resources development, providing basic amenities and infrastructural facilities in the communities, a pastor of Mountain of Fire Miracles Ministries, Charles Okoye frowned at the primitive and unchristian developments in carnivals and cultural festival and advised governments and leadership of town unions to stop funding the events but channel public fund to development projects in the communities, adding that such idolatrous pastime should be optional. He said: “As far as Christian religion is concerned, what are seen in the carnivals and cultural festivals not only offends the moral sensibilities of serious-minded Christians, heaven-conscious people who have resolved to worship God in spirit and in truth, but people with civilized value system and polished outlook and mind-set. Okoye however contends that not all customs and traditions contradict word of God. “Human beings who go half naked in public commit. He quoted Jeremiah Chapter 10:1-10 whereby believers are enjoined to examine all customs and tradition to ascertain if their roots emanated from idolatry which their primary progenitors adored and worshipped because our fore-fathers did not know the proper way to worship God. “Jeremiah says: “Thus said the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain. Be not afraid of them for they cannot do evil neither also is in them to do good; and Colossian 2:4 corroborate by saying ‘ beaware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of man and rudiments of the world, and not Christ”. In her observation, a Sunday bible teacher, deaconess Favour Mba, having passed emotional trauma in marriage due to fetish customs and traditions exhorted serious minded Christians never to compromise their faith. “My diligent observations and enquiries from traditionalists and elders revealed that over 90% of the customs and traditions; [the so-called ‘rich cultural heritage’] which the traditional rulers are the custodian, have their roots in idolatry worship in the olden days. “It due to palpable ignorance of the idolatrous origin of some customs and traditions that government sponsor carnivals and cultural festivals in the name of preserving the supposed rich cultural heritage”.
The Anambra state Hon. Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs, culture and tourism, Barr. Mrs. Stella Onuora who spoke to the Orient Daily briefly before she went to confer with the Governor referred the reporter to the Director of Diaspora affairs, Mr. Emma Umeokana and Director of culture, Nkiru Ifeoma Meludu.
Umeokana said: “From tourism perspective, carnival is not a waste of public fund, rather it it is one of the sources of revenues to the state government. Aside crude oil and gas, tourism is according to United Nation’s World Tourism Organization, is a veritable source of contribution up to 13% to the Gross Domestic Product [GDP] which the federal and state governments can explore. “The former governor of Cross River state, Donald Duke should be commended for initiating the carnival and he still participates in the event. People who have good houses lease them to people and make a lot of money in the duration of the carnival. Those who also make money during the carnival are food vendors, tailors, fashion designers; and hotels are fully booked.”
On the participants parading half naked, Umeokana said: “It depends on the policy template of the state government. I believe Anambra state government might not be disposed to appreciate such as it flies in the face of our cultural values”.
On the carnival participants, especially foreign troupes in addition to the cultural festivals where people at times dance half naked, Meludu said: “History tells that in the olden days, before the advent of civilization, human beings went naked, and at a stage, used shrubs to cover their nakedness before they advanced to the use of animal skin. “Since the coming of Christianity, human behavior changed, making every individual to see himself/herself as a moral being. This has gone a long way to make the modern men and women to be conscious of what they wear. It is pertinent to note that most times, it is the womenfolk that expose their bodies more than the men. “It is not only during the Calabar carnival that such eyesore is observed. Anybody who watches the television will bear to the fact that some female put on only pants especially the so-called ‘G’ string while dancing; and their male counterpart is seen appearing in complete suit.” A sociologist who shoes to be anonymous defined culture as “a way of life of a group of people; their behaviour, beliefs, values and symbols that they accept, generally without thinking about them, and are passed to the next generation. Culture can also be defined as the sum total of the learned behavior of a group of people that are generally considered to be the tradition of the people and are transmitted from generation to generation”. However, the sociologist condemned the make-up of the ladies in the Calabar carnival by exposing their bodies, saying that people should be wary in adopting other nations’ acts which they may not know the origin and essence. He said: “From the look of things, Calabar carnival must have borrowed from the Brazil carnival, the customs are not alike; the culture of Calabar people had never been traced for close relationship. It is high time people should portray their own culture rather copy from another nation”.
Corroborating the above position, veteran journalist and now the traditional ruler of Umuchu, Aguata local government of Anambra state, HRH Igwe Godson Ezechukwu,OON, contended that the government of Cross River state has not gotten right in terms of moral template. He said: “Our culture forbids such indecent exposure of female contours. It corrupts our youths both female and male. Our culture abhors it.
“I hope the promoters of such carnivals will spare us such unwelcome civilization”. Explaining the vision for the inauguration of Calabar carnival, Osima Dokubo said it was aimed to include more aspects of local heritage and culture and at the same time strengthen the capacity of the locals to participate in an economically beneficial way. “Recently, the Cross River state in general and Calabar in particular have become the pride of Nigeria or Africa as far as tourism and hospitality is concerned, Dokubo said.
From the salient observations of close watchers of public affairs in the country, it would make a lot of sense for governments to concentrate on good governance which has to do with provision of social amenities and critical infrastructures. Issues of carnivals and cultural festivals should be private affairs of traditionalist and traditional rulers who should fund the event and not task the people with respect to fundamental human rights which are being grossly violated during the cultural festivals.
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