Tinkoriko Officially Drafted Into Calabar Festival Activities After 30 Years Of Annual Parade
By Missang AKPET
Tinkoriko an annual cultural parade that holds every 1st of January in the city of Calabar has been drafted into the annual Calabar Festival activities.
Tinkoriko which maiden parade was in 1993 has been used as an avenue to curb youth restiveness and drive home several messages against societal ills for the past 30 years.
Since inception, it has been organised and done independently as a socio-cultural carnival-style parade not until it was recognized and included in the festival calender this year.
The organiser and founder of the parade Honourable Orok Otu Duke while speaking with The Beagle News said the recognition of Tinkoriko by the state is a major milestone especially as it came on the 30th anniversary of its existence.
"In 1993 we began this thing as a small cultural parade around ward 4 and 5 of Calabar South with not up-to 40 people in the parade.
Secretary CRS Tourism Bureau Effiong Ekpenyong, Organiser Tinkoriko Cultural Parade Hon Orok Duke and Former Chief Protocol To CRS Governor Emmanuel Asikpo Okon
"Over the years, it has grown to become an annual celebration where you see thousands of people both old and young join the cultural parade.
"I can boldly say it is the first form of yuletide carnival parade in Calabar before the introduction of the annual Calabar Carnival in 1993 so it's inclusion in the festival calender is a step in the right direction.
CRS Governor Senator Bassey Otu joining the Parade
"When I was in the Cross River State House of Assembly, I sponsored the bill for the creation of the Carnival Commission which culminated to establishing the carnival as an annual event.
"I told the then Governor that the festival should be expanded to include 1st of January but over the years the featival had always stopped on the 31st of December not until this year that the festival has run for 32 days including Tinkoriko parade in 1st January" Orok said.
Tinkoriko has been used over the years to drive home several messages against societal ills with the message this year being "Say No To Violence, Cultism, Militantcy, Kidnapping and Child Trafficking".
