Ebonyi showcases tourism potential with indigenous celebrities tomorrow

STARS of the Nigerian entertainment industry, especially those in the movie and music segments, and other invited foreign stars will be hosted by the Ebonyi State Government tomorrow, according to the Committee on Culture and Tourism.

Those expected include Patoranking, Splash, Sinach, Tekno, Cha Cha Ekeh, Angela Okorie, Grace Amah, Andy Chukwu, Chita Agwu, Tracy and Treasure Daniels, among others.

Chairman of the committee, Dr. Jerry Uhuo, told the media that the event is being packaged to showcase to the world the state’s hidden potentials, using the entertainment industry as the driving force.

He noted that Ebonyi has great, hidden potentials that could boost its Internally Generated Revenue and end overdependence on crude oil if harnessed, adding: “If we had harnessed these kind of potentials, we wouldn’t have been talking about crude oil.

What we have is enough to give Ebonyi what it needs to develop. “We took time, as a committee, to tour over 40 tourist centres in Ebonyi and found that we have enough potentials to develop the state.

We specifically visited Amancho Cave, which is about six kilometres under the ground, and right inside is a place where you can host over 4,000 persons.

We need to develop and showcase such places to the world. “The committee felt that the only way we can get the world to know what we have is to involve those in the entertainment industry.

We felt that it is important to bring home so many of these stars from Ebonyi so that they can see our potentials. “Many big men in the music industry who have made names are from Ebonyi State.

In fact, in the marketing sector of the music industry, Ebonyi has the highest number, about 90 per cent, but they do not identify with the state because they felt the state does not identify with them.”

Uhuo disclosed that the state has formed a union called United Ebonyi Artists, where every artist from the state would be registered, adding that the platform would afford the upcoming artists the opportunity to develop their talents.

According to him, the time has come to rewrite Ebonyi history through the harnessing of its potentials, beginning with the entertainment industry, in the quest to transform the state.