Director General of National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Otunba Olusegun Runsewe has commended the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike for constructing the best Cultural Centre to promote culture and tourism.
Speaking during a late night show on Africa Independent Television (AIT) , Jigsaw, on Wednesday, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe stated that the Rex Lawson Cultural Centre is of International Standard and has the capacity to transform the nation’s culture and tourism sector.
Runsewe said that he discovered the beauty of the Rex Lawson Cultural Centre in Port Harcourt during the 2018 National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST) hosted by the Rivers State Government.
He noted that the quality of that facility is such that key National and international cultural events should be hosted in the Garden City.
The Director General of NCAC praised the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike for delivering a cultural centre of that magnitude to Rivers State and Nigeria.
He said: “In the whole of Nigeria today, only one state has a truly cultural event centre (Rex Lawson Cultural Centre). That state is Rivers State. I was there and I was marvelled.
“The floor is synthetic. The walls, sound proof. Their walls have microphones that pick sounds and there is a control room for technical coordination.
“This Cultural Centre was the one that the Ooni of Ife commissioned in the state. We had NAFEST last year at the centre. We must remove sentiment from this matter. I was marvelled. I had to beg them in Rivers State to give me the contractors profile, so that we take similar thing to every state of the Federation.
“The Cultural Centre in Cross River State is not like that of Rivers State. Oh God of Israel, in Rivers Cultural Centre, you can have eight events at a time. The Rivers Cultural Centre has a VVIP section that you can receive the President of other countries in audience before you come for the show.
We have a good centre (Rex Lawson Cultural Centre) in Port Harcourt which Governor Wike has put in place. Why can’t we take some national and international events to Port Harcourt.
“Why can’t we move some airlines to Port Harcourt, to take international tourists to that city, so that people can have variety when it comes to Nigeria? ”
Simeon Nwakaudu ,
Special Assistant to the Rivers State Governor, Electronic Media.
26th September, 2019.
