Lai Mohammed and gift from the Queen of Sheba

Since it has become a notable and sad commentary that Nigerians particularly our young persons have lost touch with history of worthwhile developments within and outside our clime, it becomes imperative to explain that the “Wisdom tourism” seeking queen of Sheba reigned in Ethiopia over 2,000 years ago. In world history, Ethiopia and Egypt, all in the “horn” of Africa played significant roles in the socio-cultural, economic, religious and political evolution of mankind.

However since goggle has made historical searches easy, I will advise the young persons in Nigeria to do a search on the role played by the queen of Sheba of Ethiopia whose fame and riches transcend the frontiers of her kingdom reverberating across early civilizations in Asia, particularly to Israel and in other parts of the world.

Last week, Nigeria’s intrepid Minister of Culture and Tourism, Alhaji Lai Mohammed was in Ethiopia, to see the land of left behind by the queen of Sheba. It took the tourism industry in Nigeria some days to find out that the minister sneaked to Ethiopia for a United Nations World Tourism (Africa Region) Tourism Ministers Conference, the 58th in the series.

News filtering out and which was gleefully announced on NTA is that Minister has “won” for Nigeria the hosting right for the 61st edition in 2018. That “victory” for Nigeria came on the heels of a “five minute” documentary entitled “simply Nigeria” which chairman of the Africa UNWTO commission, and Zimbabwe Minister of Tourism and Hospitality, Dr Walter Nzembi “procedurally” granted Nigeria right to entertain Africa tourism minister next year based on “applause” to Lai Mohammed is presentation of Nigeria as land of rich cultural heritage and tourism destinations.

Significantly, what benefits would this Lai Mohammed UNWTO Africa Ministers conference bring to Nigeria and to what extent will the meeting contribute and add to our quest to reinvent our tourism dreams? There are other “hard” questions deserving answers from Lai Mohammed who has made it his business and face of his blueprint to ignore the Nigerian tourism private sector players after his “famous” stakeholders meeting in Abuja two years ago.

This trip to queen Sheba land is neither appropriate at this time of our tourism evolution nor prime any significant push or value to some of the most basic and other numerous avoidable limitations to our rebound as tourism nation. Seven years ago, 2010 to be precise, Nigeria hosted this same convention in Abuja when Late President Yar-Adua was in power where also then Vice-President Jonathan held forth at a Gala night for “Africa’s” political tourism Ministers at Sheraton Abuja.

From its opening ceremony at the International Conference Centre to the plenary sessions at NICON NOGA Hilton, and the Gala night at Sheraton, it downed on all very discerning observers that Africa will never speak or market its various unique tourism and cultural resources as one body.

Though some of the experts imported outside Africa pointed out the huge blessings of Africa as the global tourism destination of the future, only few advised and called for a change on how to harness and present a joint region by region Africa tourism road map. There is no denying the fact that UNWTO Africa has remained only a frontier to celebrate and entertain tourism political leaders in Africa, all whose tenure are usually at the mercy of their leaders back home, never enduring.

It is regrettable that once or twice we witnessed the sacking of some of the Ministers while they were at such conferences and while those who survived never left behind any meaningful report that enthroned a sustainable tourism barometer in their home country, Nigeria leading the pack.

If we may ask, where are the reports from the Abuja 2010 UNWTO Ministers meeting and were the reports ever implemented or passed down to agencies of tourism and culture for implementation? The truth is that nothing good ever comes out of a jamboree which is what UNWTO Ministers conference is all about.

Another important take home for the wise in global tourism business is the fact that tourism competitiveness is driven on a master, servant relationship with established destinations and their “white” managers preferring to collaborate and market destinations where they will be allowed unhindered access to cheap labour, free tax regimes and total control of manpower placements and friendly labour laws that will not question the oppression and slavery of indigenous workforce.

As much as tourism provides one out of every twelve jobs, it has become a tool to enthrone child sex and labour abuse, fretting away local historical and cultural resources, arts and crafts and unmitigated damage to sustaining original cultures and life styles of a nation if left unprotected by laws of the land and to which Nigeria presently cannot cope.

Time has come for Lai Mohammed to sit down at home and think through tourism policy action plans now that NTDC and National Council for Arts and Culture are in the hands of game changers. Let me even ask, where did Lai Mohammed get the fund for the Ethiopian jamboree when recently, workers in his ministry embarked on open protest to highlight poor working conditions and welfare package?

Some of the workers union leaders who spoke with me were disturbed by the minister’s trip at time like this and notes with pinch of salt the minister’s alleged disclosure to workers that their problems lies with the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Ayotunde Adesugba. A leader does not shift goal posts, leaders’ stand in gap.

ADALIKWU – This can’t be patriotism!

The Ethiopian trip apart from being a waste of scarce tourism resources also brought to fore the presence of a Director in the Ministry of Water Resources Dr. Paul Adalikwu on the Minister’s entourage. Dr. Adalikwu as at the time Buhari announced and appointed Folarin Coker as substantive DG of NTDC, has no business being in the delegation of the minister to Ethiopia.

It is my candid position and opinion that the minister erred by approving the inclusion of a man whom government has removed from office even though the trip was arranged by Adalikwu then as acting DG NTDC.

Where is Adalikwu’s integrity in all this unfortunate drama? Where is the patriotism and selfless service to the nation when appointees of government initiate programmes or projects which they gain there from?

For crying out loud, Dr. Adalikwu for the so called “20 days” he spent in NTDC could not even treat huge files on his table but was quick to trip on government fund to Conakry and Ethiopia, not forgetting allowances collected for just standing in gap in NTDC.

Mr. Lai Mohammed owes Nigerian tourism players and the impoverished NTDC workers an explanation on why Dr. Adalikwu should be on his entourage when Folarin Coker as DG of NTDC has resumed. The story making rounds that Dr. Adalikwu is allegedly the minister’s tourism “oracle” is an issue for any day but this Ethiopia gate must be investigated. It is a text case of robbing Peter to pay Paul and therefore should not be swept under the carpet.