By Frank Meke.
The ENISH restaurant in Ilford, United Kingdom, a five-star Nigerian centric culinary hang out, got a taste of Nigerian travel trade celebrity presence when the World Travel Market delegates from National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies ( Nanta) rolled down sleeves to honour their amazingly Amazon president, Mrs Susan Akporiaye, Thursday night.
I did a full plate of Isi Ewu, assisted by my friend and housemate, Simon , and the beats went on . It was a night of courage and commitment. Yes, it was a night to truly measure the love and appreciation to a leader, a selfless and inspirational goal getter, a woman, and a Nigerian who placed Nigeria and Nanta first above all personal desires.
It was absolutely engaging, reflective of how deep Nanta members love their president and to all that braced and braved the bitter bitting London freezing cold to dine out with her, Love all the way overshadowed pedestrian misrepresentations and struggles.
There were no speeches, no long talks, but just a night to be counted worthy to be part of a dream association led and positively oxygenated by an untiring Deborah of our time.
Like everything done here to market Nigeria, nanta members voluntarily contributed to making this outing a success. It was a vote for competence, innovation, creativity, and collaboration.
Susan Akporiaye took turns to go round the tables to salute and appreciate her members, who thronged out, and paid their bills to honour and dine out with her.
Though a known expressive orator, Mrs Akporiaye, beamed with deep smiles, just hugged and hugged everyone, even other dinners, non nanta members who shared tables close to the Nigerian travel professional celebrities.
Yinka Folami, vp lagos, did fingers magic on the isi ewu with a portion of white rice. Lola Adewole came with the husband, and they were the couples of night. If you don’t know, lola is the national publicity secretary of the association and a merchant of Venice.
Pastor Mrs Chinyere Umeasiegbu, vice president, Eastern zone of the association, is the mother Thereza of the night. Unfortunately, the hot sizzling and pepperish isi ewu gave her a throbbing eye drops which only cold iced juice could wipe away.
Mrs Chinyere Umeasiegbu faithfully mobilized these unassuming and caring members of nanta, a kind of testament to the indivisible spirit of an association that many people have come to see as a mini Nigeria and a group where the youth and young persons, men and women, selflessly thrive in patriotic commitment.
This is supposed to be a pictorial piece, at least to splash the faces behind this historic night, a day in the history of nanta, as never done before, where members gave up all to honour their president and inadvertently set in motion, a bearing reward system for those to come after Mrs Susan Akporiaye, that the success and survival of nanta and Nigerian tourism matters.
