Presidential council on tourism: The hawks at it again

It has been confirmed that the Presidential Council on Tourism (PCT) will be inaugurated by the time is this piece is published. That is not however the issue at hand.. What rankles is behind the scene nomination by the cabals in the Federation of Tourism Association of Nigeria (FTAN).

Even though its umbrella is largely torn to pieces due to poor leadership visibility almost since its foundation many years ago, Ftan which is caricatured to act as representative body and clearing house for sectorial associations (and not individuals or corporate persons) has failed to live up to expectations of the sector but has largely become a cash and carry platform for non active or retired portfolio players to jump into government tourism related appointments.

Indeed, Ftan has become the soft spot which a lot of people within or outside the sector now factors as the cheapest means to achieve their political ambition. It did not start today and until the right things are done, Ftan will continue to serve as the political bridge to unmerited political glory by pretenders in the tourism sector.

Interestedly, the game is with us here again and the hawks have grabbed the choice representations from the FTAN to PCT.  PCT as Obsanjo’s solution to tourism evangelism among government agencies, particularly those with key tourism active content to drive the sector, also originally habours state governors  who were seen as critical players to revolutionize  tourism in Nigeria.

PCT as a unitary bridge, another supposed Federal Executive Council meeting was initiated specifically to address tourism issues, drive a uniform tourism policy outlook for the nation, though with select private sector players not only in tourism but also from related fields as members.

While other sectors pick their best “first eleven” for such engagements,  Ftan has notoriously sidelined strong member association leaders from participating or being nominated, a process that has left the sector high and dry on finding solutions affecting the sector. The latest nominees to the Buhari PCT under the watch of Lai Mohammed were alleged to have been “picked” by the minister from a letter written to Edem Duke as minister in 2012, four years ago.

National Association of Nigeria Tour Operators,(NATOP) Nkereweum Onung told me that Natop is not in the know of whatever is happening in Ftan and submitted that politics of Ftan will never produce any good result. He challenged Ftan do a self audit and publish its success if any other than leadership scrambling for government position or appointments instead of leading a strong voice for a change on how tourism can be better in Nigeria.

National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (Nanta) President, Bankole Bernard would not want to comment on Ftan but notes that Nanta under his leadership would need to be convinced to join the association. Okorie Uguru, travel journalist and spokesperson for Ftan told me that the nominees were picked from a position paper done by Ftan under Samuel Alabi as President of Ftan four years ago, to Edem Duke and refused to explain further why a supposed letter or position paper of four years to another minister and not Lai Mohammed should subsist in the nomination game plan by Akingbogun led Ftan.

Already the issue which may not be known to key members in the Akingbogun Executive, may generate another round of Controversy even though a hurriedly packaged emergency meeting of Ftan was held last week to “Brief” select members.

It also beat us hollow on how Minister Lai Mohammed could accept to pick nominations from a letter written four years ago to a PDP Minister of Tourism who could not get his president to reconstitute PCT handed over from a PDP Obasanjo government. Attempt to reach Segun Adeyemi, the Minister’s Media Adviser was not possible at the time of this report but having seen Lai Mohammed new drive for tourism, it could be that the hawks are hiding behind the four year old letter to cleverly nominate themselves and not necessarily a Lai Mohammed agenda.

Worrisome to Ftan observers is the fact that the so called nominees apart from being players from the hotel sub – sector, also came from the south – west zone without taking into consideration the federal character representation as expected from a sensitive private sector organ such as Ftan.  Will this new but ‘old wine’ implode an already battered Ftan, we watch and pray.