Is night life fully back in Port Harcourt?
Garden City night crawlers crawling back? To confirm this, this writer went at about 6pm to the EUI Event centre on Abacha Street in the New GRA where K.O. Baba Jornsen, popularly called ‘Mayor of Pitakwa’ mounted a mega comedy show at the biggest event centre in the Garden City themed: ‘They don de fool us’.
By about 8’oclock, the plot thickened. Those who secretly haboured fears of empty or half-filled hall must be shocked that the hall was filled to the brim. Seats were being hired to augment.
A survey of the audience showed that both the young and old were ready to frolic. The Mayor of Housing was on hand to take a front table with his friends.
Another area of survey was about cars. Hmmm. The entire arena was filled with cars of all types. Yes, some VIPS dressed simple and came with less exotic cars. The entire street was also filled with vehicles. Food sellers and others took up the street, too, thus setting up a mini market.
By 10pm when this writer was pulling out, the night was just starting, the hall was groovy with Pitakwa guys and gets rocking the Easter Monday night.
Before the advent of militancy, PH had over 100 nightlife centres who attracted over N25m spend per night or about N9BN per year. A time however came when nights were dry and only marauders were on duty.
Now, does this mean that the city is ready to bounce back at night and receive back investments in nightlife?
One couple captured this better when interviewed at the red-carpet centre. David Ogwuzerem and his wife relished in the airy evening and took ravishing photos. He said his family came to enjoy the moment and to support the organiser who he described as his friend.
“It’s a holiday, and one needs to catch fun, have some relaxation, and feel the impact of the holiday.
He admitted that insecurity was a challenge but said; “We must go out and come in. I know it’s not as bad as they paint it in Port Harcourt, even though we have few reports of insecurity. People still move freely late in the night, especially in the GRA.
“Recently there has been maximum security by the security agents. They are doing very well. So, the fear of insecurity is not high this period.”
On the status of PH as a leisure destination, Ogwuzerem said: “Port Harcourt used to be the hub of enterare tainment and fun but militancy and cultism affected it, and Lagos took over the industry.
“But in the last few years there have efforts to reintroduce entertainment. I appeal to the government to give their full support to the creative artists and those who are into the creative business. They should build sites, environments, and locations because tension is much in Nigeria and people need to ease it out.”
He also appealed to ‘bad boys’ to look to new trades such as in entertainment to make decent and lucrative living. He was supported by another patron, Victor Tubo, who said Port Harcourt is back. When you buy into this business, you go home and have your two eyes closed and see your investment moving down to the peak.”