Eyebrows have been raised among the residents of Calabar, the Cross River State capital, over the last-minute cancellation of the popular annual Nkot Mbok masquerade festival billed for January 25.
Hours before the event, the Security Adviser to the Governor, Major General U.O Obono (rtd), announced its suspension.
Claiming there were “plans by some elements to perpetuate mayhem within the state under the guise of NKOT MBOK,” he warned that “defaulters will be prosecuted”.
Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, representing Cross River South Senatorial District of the state, is the sponsor and Patron of the festival.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) is said to have become popular owing to the huge developmental strides he has attracted to his district through the NDDC.
Ekpenyong, through his aide Ted Inyang, withdrew from the event given the security concerns.
One of the members of the planning committee said the cancellation was a huge economic and cultural loss to the state.
He said: “Preparations for the event had been completed. Costumes have been shared with all the participants.
“Everything regarding the festival was already concluded and everyone was looking forward to that Saturday.
“But around 8 pm on Friday, the announcement was made to the effect that the festival has been suspended, owing to security concerns.
“This came as a rude shock to us all. This festival has been held in the past 19 years, and it has never recorded any hitch. There has never been any violation of any such and this year’s own was not expected to be different.
“The Senator himself as the Patron, had made adequate preparations for it. He had committed huge financial resources to it, and had arrived with his friends and colleagues.”
It is thought that some powerbrokers within Governor Bassey Otu’s camp are not comfortable with Ekpeyong’s growing influence and are determined to ensure he does not get a second term.
But, the Senator’s supporters continue to back him.
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One of them said: “The Senator has used his office as the Chairman of the NDDC to attract a lot of projects to the state and his zone in particular. Massive road construction is ongoing, and the lighting up of streets of very many communities is ongoing.
“He is sponsoring over 40 students on foreign scholarships. Schools are receiving his attention in terms of infrastructural development.
“On January 26, he did an empowerment for about 350 women, during which he distributed sewing machines and grinders to them, among others.
“Just a few days back, before the women empowerment, it was reported that he gave N100,000 to N10,000 students of his Senatorial district, who are in higher institutions.
“So, the state government is not happy with all these that he is doing, and they are doing everything possible to pull him down. We are with him, and we are, as youths, happy with him.
“This festival has been held in the past 19 years, and we have never had an issue but they believe that this year’s own will add more colour to his popularity and they decided to stop it.”