2nd Edition of Limbe FESTAC kicks-off

By Ajongakou Santos in Buea
The second edition of the Limbe Festival of Arts and Culture christened Limbe FESTAC 2015 has kick-started at the Limbe Community Field with organizers and participants promising to make this year’s cultural episode better than the maiden edition. Organized at the bidding of the Limbe City Council and some stakeholder companies to the town’s development; notably the CDC and SONARA, this jiffy edition is placed under the distinguished patronage of the Minister of Arts and Culture, Ama Tutu Muna.
    Launched under the theme ''Cultural Diversity and Integration'', the 2015 FESTAC opened on Saturday April 4 at the Limbe Community Field conveying together Cameroonians from the ten regions of the country and representatives from some gregarious neighbouring countries notably; Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana and others.
    While officially opening the eight-day event (April 4-11), the Minister of Arts and Culture, Ama Tutu Muna emphasised on the need for all participants to value the cultural event and make it a suitable avenue to sell the rich and diverse culture of the Cameroonian people. She was accompanied by South West Governor, Bernard Okalia Bilai who said Limbe’s rich day-tripper potentials afford all it takes for people to come and relief their stress while getting lots of cessation. He noted that tourist attractions such as the Botanic Gardens, the vast Atlantic Ocean, the Nachtigal Falls and giant companies like SONARA, the C.D.C., the Ship Yard and sundry others chain up to make Limbe a prime destination for nationals and foreigners. 
    For his part, the Government Delegate to the Limbe City Council, Andrew Motanga who doubles as the head of the Organizing Committee for the event, thanked participants and guests for accepting to come and be part of a history-making event for the second time. He called on them to put all hands on deck so as to ensure that the event is crowned by success and becomes an annual event to promote the rich arts and culture of Cameroon.

    Day-one of the 8-day event started with a walk around the town of Limbe, visit to the Cultural village by the Minister and her associates to have an appraisal of the several products to be exhibited all through the over one week cultural event.
    Meanwhile, on Sunday, there was an ecumenical service, a series of cultural displays with the Bakweri culture being the first and a musical concert. Cultural events opened with displays by the indigenous Bakweri tribe from Bimbia, Wovia and Botaland. The other participants from the other regions of the country and neighbouring countries will take the queue from Monday, April 6 with other cultural displays. 
    Other activities to spice this second edition and make it a success will include visits to tourist sites such as the Bimbia Slave Trade village and other attractions. Besides beginning a cultural event, there will also be a series of traditional sporting activities conspicuously; the Njalla Quan International Marathon to be run from Idenau to Limbe, a canoe race, tug-of-war, traditional wrestling, just to name but these.
    Also present at the opening of the week-long cultural jamboree were Heads of Diplomatic Missions; Members of Parliament; SDO of Fako; District Officers of Limbe I, II,&III; General Managers of CDC and Sonara; the regional delegate of arts and culture; and other administrative authorities of the South West Regions.
    At the end of this great cultural jamboree, Cameroonians and foreigners will be savoured with doses of the country’s rich and diverse cultures, rituals, traditional believes and practices which will make them know, believe and accept that Cameroon is truly Africa in miniature; a place where visiting is a pleasure, staying’s a leisure and investing a treasure.