Akwa Ibom State lost several laurels in arts and culture at the national level for failing to participate in the National Festival for Arts and Culture (NAFEST) for 12 years.
The Director, Akwa Ibom State Council for Arts and Culture, Uyo, Dr. Unwana Joshua Udo, who stated this while fielding questions from journalists in his office, said the state contingents also lost relevance at the national scene due to their non-participation.
Udo who just returned from a summit organised by the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) in Abuja narrated the hazzles he passed through in an effort to attend the summit.
He hailed the ingegenuity of the state contigents in arts and culture both past and present, identifying lack of funds as a factor dampening morality of the staffers and the contigents.
‘‘At the summit, we were believing that having been at the 54th summit, Akwa Ibom will not be left out in the 2024 edition of NAFEST; because any time Akwa Ibom does not attend those events, other states will celebrate as it will give them opportunity to win laurels for their states.
‘‘But any moment Akwa Ibom attends, we always sweep everything because of the talents that God has blessed us with …that for 12 years now Akwa Ibom has not participated in NAFEST has been as a result of funds.
‘‘For instance, if it is done Abuja, you need to have transportation, you need to talk about accommodation and feeding, you need to mobilise all the people involved to get them motivated so that we will continue to take the first positions as we have been taking.
‘‘And I want to promise us that by the grace of God and given our potentials, we will continue to take the first positions, as long as the governor of Akwa Ibom state will continue to support us. We will never disappoint the state.”
He listed his reforms he has bought into office in the past two years to include the provision of sufficient tables and chairs for all staffers to have what to sit, his leadership has gone ahead to sort out the issue of power shut down, by impressing upon the office of the Head of Service to connect the ministry of power, for a new transformer for the host community – Obio Offot community, which feeds the council’s power need as well as fixed the long abandoned 50 KVA generator of the council back to use.
Aside from fixing the computer and its accessories for a seamless discharge of administrative functions, the Director said the council has fixed four new air conditioners in the amphitheatre, opened over 32 years deserted Clement Isong Museum in Onna, and bettered flagship and emerging programmes of the council.
These, he posited, have triggered more innovations, like the latest development of the council releasing own music album alongside new sets of dancers costume and traditional instruments to suit modern taste launched on September 18.
The council helmsman pledged the support of well-meaning stakeholders in addition to the expected efforts of the state government.
He said that if enabled with the required capital resources, and with the human potentials being properly harnessed, the council can come up with a recording studio and an Arts and crafts centre where experts would be bred as entrepreneurs in the sector and launched for exports to benefitting the state in the area of improved taxation and robust foreign exchange.
While promising to join in promoting the ARISE agenda blueprint of governor Umo Eno, in his capacity, Dr Udo rolled out measures so far put in place to reposition the council to its current state.
