Help Fight Crime In Rivers With Entertainment, Corporate Bodies Told
From ERIC MOORE, Port Harcourt
Corporate organizations operating in Rivers State have been urged to show interest in the entertainment industry to rid the state of criminality.
Mayor of Pitakwa, Baba Jornsen, popularly known as K. O. Baba, made the appeal when he spoke to journalists in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, about the forthcoming ‘Light Up Port Harcourt’ musical concert.
He emphasized that Port Harcourt, popularly known as the Garden City, is in dire need of corporate bodies that understand and know the importance of entertainment industry in eradicating crime in the society.
According to him, a booming entertainment industry will boost businesses tremendously in the oil-rich part of the country and reduce criminal activities drastically.
Jornsen said: “Port Harcourt needs corporate bodies that understand entertainment. The September mega music festival will hold at the biggest and most modern event centre in the South-South.
“We need people to troop out and cheer artistes. The booming entertainment industry will attract investors and boost businesses in this part of Nigeria.
“It will reduce crime drastically because if you ignore entertainment and youth programmes, you will hardly sleep. If you remove or kill entertainment in Port Harcourt, you breed criminals. Entertainment remains the highest employer of labour in Port Harcourt.”
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Light Up Port Harcourt, Mr. Happy Agi, said the event is an entertainment project aimed at showcasing Port Harcourt City and its talent potentials, having identified a gap in the music industry.
Agi said: “We intend to close that gap, which is not about dearth of talents, but about promoting the talents, and providing platforms to showcase those talents. That is the gap we want to close.
“It aims to sell Port Harcourt to the world by projecting Garden City talents to the world. It is not restricted to indigenes of Port Harcourt, but all of Rivers State and all those who had stints in Port Harcourt at one time or the other.
“The first outing took place on March 9, 2024. This one coming up on September 15, 2024, is a special edition because it is going to be an all-Port Harcourt artistes show. We want to tell the world that we are here and that we have so many talents.”
Similarly, Tonye Ibiama, CEO, Grafton Records, said the drive is not only for national artistes, but for upcoming ones.
He said: “We expect the City to help nurture Port Harcourt artistes. We are here to let the world know this. I am particularly appealing for support.”
Meanwhile, organizers of the event noted entertainment industry in Rivers State needs resuscitation and encouragement.