Belle Hunting Festival receives Emir’s, others’ blessing

THE Emir of Zing, the Pkanti Zing., Alhaji Suleman Sambo, and the Permanent Secretary of the Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Engr Godfrey Andrew Dame of Taraba State, have expressed their support for the Belle Hunting festival as this year’s edition holds next week.

In separate meetings with the event planner recently, the Emir, through his assistant, Wakilia Zing, Alhaji Adamu Mohamed, said the emir would support the Lagos-based entertainment company for choosing to help galvanise the tourism sector in the northern state on the promise of the governor, Dr Agbu Kefas, to provide the enabling environment for tourism development in the state. The state aims to generate N3bn revenue from tourism in 2025.In the same vein, Engr Dame, who hosted Mr Yinka Adejuwon, and other staff members of Twice As Much Entertainment at the palace, said he was in support of his people’s desire to grow the sector as he is a firm believer in African culture and tradition.

Excited about the ingenious approach of Twice As Much to use cultural events in Taraba to create jobs for youths, the Emir promised to use all in his capacity to push the idea of the company to the necessary quarters as everyone in the state is worried about the rate of unemployment among their youths “despite the fact that they are educated and qualified to be gainfully employed, and want a change for the better.

“I am 100 per cent in support of the understanding between the company and the people of Zing in using our festivals to grow our economy, and to create much-needed jobs for our teeming youths,” he promised the visitors.

The Permanent Secretary, and the Chairman of MCDA, Mr Francis Boroma, admitted that never in the history of Taraba had an organisation shown interest in the tourism sector in the state until the company came along.

“We are willing to work with Twice As Much to make this happen as long as the plans of the company will create jobs for our youths,” they said.

“The governor knows that the sector has the potential to create jobs for our youths. How you plan to carry it out is what we want to discuss in the nearest future. 2026 is around the corner, even though we can’t do much together now because this edition is only in few days time”.

The grand finale of the Belle Hunting festival, one of the several religiously observed in Taraba, will take place on January 30 after several days of celebrations.

Belle Hunting Festival receives Emir’s, others’ blessing - Tribune Online