By Raphael Ede
Th e World Music and Dance Creation Organization (WOMADCO), said it has chosen Enugu State to host its festival in October this year. Th e president of the organization, Dr. Ferdinand Anikwe who led some members of the team on a courtesy call on the governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, said it chose Enugu the coal city state for the event in view of her status as one of the safest states in the country just as it also off ers conducive environment for residents and visitors alike.
While commending the governor for creating conducive environment for creative ventures and other economic development activities to thrive in the state, Dr. Anikwe, said Enugu was chosen among the 36 states after painstaking consideration of basic factors that would guarantee successful hosting of the event. He said, “Your Excellency, having picked Nigeria as the seat of the project, certain conditions were looked into like security and friendly environment in the state for foreign investors and visitors during the hosting of the world event, Enugu State out the 36 states considered scored high above other states, hence its choice by the head offi ce in Africa and the privilege to host the fi rst ever World Music and Dance event which in each year attracts more than ten thousand visitors.” Dr. Anikwe stated that Governor Ugwuanyi since assuming offi ce has positively turned around the fortunes of the state which according to him necessitated the members of WOMADCO to schedule Enugu as the venue for their annual event coming on the 24th of October, 2017. He maintained that the event will boost the tourism potentials of the state, create jobs and attract foreign investors that will harness the state’s fortunes to the benefi t of the people.
Adding voice to the president’s statements, the representative of the Enugu State Governor in the organization and the Managing Director of the Enugu State Broadcasting Service, Mr. Chukwuma Ogbonna, stated the choice of Enugu as the permanent host was a well articulated innovation bearing in mind the laudable eff orts of the governor towards giving the state a new lease of life.
Also speaking, another member of the team, Barr. Agu Gab Agu expressed happiness on the organization to come on stream under the present administration in the state. “I am very elated to be a member of this team which has come to boost the state’s economy and attract the world when Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi is piloting the aff airs of the state, and I am quite optimistic that many good things will follow the festival,” he noted. In his own response, Governor Ugwuanyi said that his administration is ready to welcome the people who have the interest of the state at heart.
“Th is administration since inception has been striving to showcase the state in every way possible, urging the people to invest and assist the state in harnessing the huge potentials of the state,” the governor said. Th e governor who was represented by his deputy, Mrs. Cecilia Ezeilo thanked the WOMADCO for choosing Enugu as the permanent base and assured them of his administrative support in all ramifi cations. Th e event featured the handover of the organization’s detailed documents to the governor by the president of the organization, Dr. Anikwe.
