Governor Otu Unveils 2023 Leboku New Yam Festival
The State Governor Prince Bassey Otu said the Leboku International New Yam Festival will continue to open up more opportunities for local and international investors.
Governor stated this through his Chief of Staff Emmanuel Ironbar, who represented him during a press conference on Tuesday in Ugep to officially announce the activities of the 2023 Leboku International Festival, which will be held in Ugep, Yakurr Local Government Area, from the 20th. to 21 August 2023.
The event is considered to be one of the biggest festive cultural events of the year in Nigeria and Africa.
This year’s festival is tagged “Leboku International Festival, an Agricultural Tourism Event, and a Panacea after COVID-19 Economy”
He stressed that the well-known Leboku International New Yam festival has come to stay in Cross River as an agritourism potential event, and opined that the government will continue to invest wisely and prudently in the Leboku festival to keep the event relevant on the world map, particularly as it reflects the celebration of love, peace, and fertility for the people of Yarkurr, our state and the nation at large.
He further maintained that 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 colorful event of the activities come August 20 and 21,” the governor stressed.
The governor further lamented that the event was never held at the stadium to attract a greater capacity of participants, ensuring that the subsequent edition would be more improved.
Governor Otu noted that Leboku will continue to thrive so that the community can gain more recognition.
In his remarks, the Royal father of the area, Paramount Ruler of Yakurr Local Government Area and Obol Lopon of Ugep, Obol Ofem Ubana Eteng stated that “The event takes place after four months of planting and hence considered as a celebration after the hunger period.”
His Highness, Obol Eteng further maintained that the “Leboku Festival is not marked by the 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.”
As one of the key partners of Leboku’s Festival in recent years, the MTN Calabar’s regional manager, Chibuzor Akuchie, said the Telecommunication service provider has started developing healthcare, education, and infrastructure services in the area in recent years, adding that it will do more this year to expand financial inclusion for the people.
