FTAN and the price we must pay

It is a fact that when the cat is away, the mouse will play around. It is equally on same plank that in a family, there are pillars unto honour and dishonour, a blend and a mix so strange that mothers do wonder how God created them all.

The story of Federation of Tourism Association of Nigeria (FTAN) is strange and windy, so we will not get tired of repeating it all the time. It is important that history guides the future of our efforts to get tourism going in Nigeria and only few are in the know.

Some few kids (men) that happened on the scene yesterday and their sponsors are deep into the tray of falsehood to rewrite the history and monetize the Nigerian tourism future. This has brought distraught and dishonor since the pretenders to the history of FTAN now sit in judgment and flaunt ignorance packaged in jaundiced wisdom, making the majority pay for what they did not bargain for.

The price to pay is to strengthen the past and empower the future through mediation and a touch of verifiable achievements from various strategic sub bodies that constitute the federation. About 1996 or thereabout, Association of Tourism Practitioners of Nigeria (ATPN) which held out the baton for industry got torn apart from the leadership of Chief (now Alabo) Mike Amachree on account of self perpetuation tendencies and highhandedness, a fulcrum that powered the birth of FTAN.

It is sad that after two decades of that historical incident, we have no good story to tell about FTAN and therefore back to the trenches. Alabo Amachree and his cabal were removed because power intoxicated them beyond measure as they failed to read the strange writings on the walls of reality.

Those who argue that Alabo Amachree issued a curse on the FTAN initiative for failing to allow the continuation of his Herodic governance of the sector under then ATPN, easily forgot to reason that greed to mobile the collective goodwill of the association for selfish ends, laid the foundation of FTAN’s motionless posture and not Amachree’s alleged power of enchantment.

One sincerely submits here that the inability of the progressive elements in the sector, having wrestled power from Amachree and his gang to call shots thereafter instead of allowing the mantle of the federation to fall into the wrong hands did contribute to the present lacuna. This telling mistake which again repeated itself in FTAN in the past eight years or thereabout, was not on account of the progressive not having one of their own at the helms of FTAN leadership but largely on account of not wanting to be seen to had effected changes in FTAN for selfish gains .

Maybe it a strategic failure in tourism political engineering but records of these pillars of honour in standing for truth and progressive rebranding of the association cannot be faulted. Notably, the time for another sermon on mount FTAN is here and again the men of goodwill and their respective constituent bodies are up in arms for total cleansing of the federation that has failed to rise to the bar of defending the course of private sector tourism development on the past eight years.

Yes, the viper’s claim that they held forth while the progressives ignored their shenanigans may hold water in the camp of sentimentalists but the truth remains that their eight years hold dwarfed the ambitious mission and objectives of the federation with all types of cockroaches and reptiles crawling on its wall.

At the recent Jos convention of the tourism progressives to reassess the FTAN relevance in Nigeria’s tourism tomorrow, participants drawn from the key life wires of the sector agreed that their absence and neglect of the federation even though borne out of frustrations due to poor leadership of the industry particularly during the eras of Munzali Dantata, High Chief Edem Duke and others down the line, was a strategic mistake that must not be allowed to fester.

Guided by tact, wisdom and deep understanding of driving FTAN back to glory for the general good of the sector and Nigeria, the urge to splinter and form another body was high on agenda but was moderated by the fact that the federation can still be salvaged.

How then will the election on Thursday this week play out and who are those destined to rescue FTAN and those who wish to sustain the picture of FTAN as begging bowel? In the affairs of men, nothing is taken for granted, so there maybe surprises here and there and what you will read here truly reflects thinking in the various camps in the struggle to make or mar the future of collective bargain to better the growth of tourism in Nigeria.

DESIRES FOR CHANGE

The hunger and thirst to bring about change on how the federation will become more relevant and provide leadership is at the root of this election. Everyone and not excluding the man on the street believes and agrees that Nigeria deserves a better tourism culture and its attendant benefits and prays to see changes effected in the federation leadership direction and orientation without which the private sector players cannot really get their footing right in the business particularly with the huge absence of tourism infrastructure and multiple taxation.

THE GAME CHANGERS

The only campaign issue close their hearts is the desire to bring a new order in the federation, turn it into a mega effective umbrella of achievements, relevance and powerful mouth piece that can speak truth to power without fear. At every to public or private tourism gathering, the Presidents of Nanta, NATOP, ATPN, NHCI, ANJET, HATMAN, NHA and others space will not allow me to capture here, are all in agreement that time has come for FTAN to revert to its founding mission and dream.

SNAKES IN THE CORRIDOR OF FTAN

They belong to “associations” solely registered for their belly. They are professional tourism political prostitutes and like chameleons, they change colour (character easily) and jump from one association to another just for the sake of getting noticed and the opportunity to walk on red carpet at government events.

Indeed, these fellows have held FTAN captive in the past eight years and will go at any length to justify their “selfless contributions” laced in poisonous deceit and fraud. They parade their FTAN badge at NTDC and other agencies of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture to feed their elephantine hunger for greed and unbridled ambition. They are known to sneak up to the industry leaders, crawl under their cover and milk them dry. They appear in public in big over flowing (agbada) native wears to justify and advertise their borrowed or acquired traditional titles but in truth, just to hide from simplistic eyes, their K-legs and bald and “empty” heads.

UNVEILING THE UMPIRE

Chief Ezeudeh, President of Hotel Forum Association (HOFA) in Abuja is the man to either make or mar this all important election. Under his watch as the longest serving FTAN electoral committee chairman, Chief Ezeudeh’s committee has never raised the bar in the choice of FTAN of leadership but he is under pressure this year to enthrone a legacy that will serve as template for the growth of the sector by going beyond the “cash and carry” electoral guideline for leadership position mantra which had kept FTAN from flying. Where and how history of tourism in Nigeria remembers this Igbo tourism operator will be seen at the end of Thursday’s FTAN election.

TOURISM POWER BROKERS TO WATCH

Samuel Alabi

A lawyer and head of legal department of Eko Hotels in Lagos, Alabi is an ex president of FTAN and for over four years running, the sole chairman of FTAN Board of Trustees. He puts his money where his mouth is but largely failed to muster all break away or “run away” associations back into FTAN. Alabi is a top industry politician and has just registered an association for “Lagos” hotel managers and owners only”, adding to the growing list “of one man association” with others yet to justify their existence and relevance. Many people believe Alabi wants to move on, though not out of FTAN but the man is closely keeping his plan to his chest, even at this election.

Bankole Bernard

Bankole is President of National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) and is in the forefront of the quest to change FTAN fortune. His leadership of NANTA stands him out, apart from his deep pocket and his many travel companies across the nation. Will NANTA dream for FTAN come to pass at their election, only Bankole can answer that question?

Nkerewuem Onung

Onung is passionate about the sector. His will to revive National Association of Tour operators of Nigeria rates him high in the industry. His strong character and selfless contribution to the course of tourism development cuts across board and he is not shy to politely but forcefully disagree with vipers in the sector. A former banker now into strategic tourism logistics business and tours, Onung’s wealth of experience will benefit FTAN.

Zack Abdullahie

He is FTAN Treasurer and a man of brilliant contributions. Zack is one of the brain boxes of NANTA under Bankole Bernard. Very selfless and progressive though he may not re-contest in this election, Zack may return to FTAN if true changes are effected at the election as many believes his experience will count.

Abiodun Odusanwo

This operator from Ijebuland is eyeing to move up the ladder of FTAN leadership as Deputy President. Odusanwo maybe “new” to the sector but he has worked his way into the sector through his Institute of Tourism Professionals (ITP) which is yet to train any professional but is quick in giving out “professional” awards.

His traduces says Odusanwo mislead NIHOTOUR Director-General, Chika Balogun in her quest to regulate the industry, an effort that collapsed at the National Assembly public hearing of NIHOTOUR tourism bill. Though Odusanwo stoutly denied the betrayal tag at the last FTAN meeting in Abuja, the silence that greeted his denial signposts a man abandoned to his politics as ITP is largely seen as a vehicle for his personal ambition.

Ini Akpabio

This hotelier from Akwa Ibom state does not hide his ambition to become a “Dangote” of hotel management in Nigeria. The election will take place at his Nanet Hotel, Abuja.

Rabo Saleh

He took Munzali Dantata’s All States Travels out of the woods and made it profitable again. Intelligent and urbane, Rabo Saleh is one of Abuja top Travel Managers, a reputation of achievement which he and his supporters flaunt to present him as President of FTAN at the election.

Ikechi Uko

As a travel and tourism trade expo facilitator, Uko’s Akwaaba is a sing song that grants him influence and reach among those who appreciate his personal sacrifice for the sector. Who Ikechi backs at this election may count depending on issues that factor his anxieties for the sector. He was at the Jos convention of progressives.

Andrew Okungbowa

Top tourism journalist and President of travel journalists in Nigeria, Okungbowa is a tested tourism political historian and very influential in the sector. Okungbowa has successful led ANJET out of the woods and restored its pride. He is a role model that needs to be watched.

Shola Ilupeju

Smooth operator and a great mobilizer of industry players, Ilupeju passion for FTAN is not in doubt and he may find his way back into FTAN fold in the next administration. Sola Ilupeju is a survivalist.

Victor Kayode

Executive Secretary of Nigeria Hotel and Catering Institute (NHCI), Kayode is a strong pillar of professional competence in the sector. His presentation of NHCI views at the public hearing of NIHOTOUR bill in Abuja stands him out as a practitioner with deep experience that can change FTAN negative narratives. His NHCI may grab the South West Zonal VP as against Odusanwo’s ITP that has nothing to show for its four uneventful years in that office.

Kabir Malan

A gentleman and former President of Nanta, Kabir Malan leadership of ATPN and the tourism progressives rate him as a strong factor in this election. Ignore Kabir Malan and you will get surprises very unpalatable.