Some residents of Calabar, the Cross River capital, on Saturday embarked on sanitation as the on-going carnival in the city approached its climax.
Some of the residents told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that it had become a tradition for residents renovate and clean their buildings ahead of the carnival.
“It has become customary for us to repair and clean up our environment during the period,’’ says Mr Etim Daniel, a resident of Mayne Avenue.
“Cleanliness is inherent in our culture and the carnival is our pride; so, we do not need to be reminded to clean up our environment.
“The attention of the world is on us for now and we must do everything to support the state government, ‘’ Daniel said.
Another resident, Mrs Ofonime Asuquo, said she repaints her buildings at the end of every year because of the carnival.
“I do repainting to ensure that all the surroundings are clean and green in conformity with the mood of the season,’’ she said.
The manager of a hotel in the city, Mr Tomi Eyo, said operators in the hospitality industry often looked forward to the carnival.
He said that the carnival was a period to make profit that could sustain the business in the coming year.
“It is the season where operators in the industry in Calabar enjoy lots of patronage.
“So, we do everything possible to upgrade our facilities and we carry out some repairs to meet the taste of guests.
“We make the profit that will sustain us in the new year,” he said.
The state government, as the major sponsor of the event, also embarked on massive repair of bad spots on roads across the city.
Also, government buildings on the carnival routes across the state capital were given a facelift.
The Calabar Urban Development Authority also embarked on clearing of blocked drains in the city.
The 32-day carnival, which began on Nov. 28, would end on Tuesday.
