By Frank Meke
Getting a Nigerian cultural tourism economy on full throttle has been a troubling expectation, and everyone seems concerned. Unfortunately, we have gone our separate ways, fought, disagreed, and punched ourselves, yet there seems to be no solution.
Does cultural tourism resources have a soul? Is the bloodline, the blood group, in sync with our focal attention to survive and contribute to national development? There has been so much talk, so many road maps, plenty polices and certainly not a win ethos with determined end in sight. It’s like a monkey pox disease, the type with a variant that scares virologists.
Folarin Coker, the Director General of Nigeria Tourism Development Authority ( NTDA), is worried about the state of tourism.
He took to a bold acceptance that he ought to have done more to drive an inclusive tourism education approach, yet he is worried that we may still disappoint and flatter.
Last week Wednesday, I met with Coker again, at close range after seven years. We were good friends, like brothers sworn to leave a tourism legacy, but we parted ways. It was bitter, very bitter separation, and to imagine that it is all just about agreeing on which way for the cultural tourism economy in Nigeria.
Coker was the combative tourism poster image for lagos tourism. The ” One lagos ” tourism promotion initiative was his baby under governor ambode in lagos.
Long story short, Coker fell out with ambode because the former governor and a good friend of his were pressured by a few envious cabinet members to scale down both economic and financial support for coker’ pet tourism project which had catapulted tourism above other sociopolitical issues in the city of Aquatic splendour during ambode time out as Lagos governor.
I was a veritable witness and volunteered a shoulder of support for the lagos tourism great stride by coker. It took the intervention of the President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to water down the ” fight ” between Coker and Ambode. I was caught in the fight to sustain that vision, Coker’ s tourism vision, and from all indications when he left to the centre in 2015, which was part of settlement plan by the President Ahmed Tinubu who was visibly worried about the open confrontation by his political sons, tourism in lagos wobbled.
Unfortunately, most people don’t know that I was in the trenches with Coker. He feared for my life and did his best to protect me from rogue elements in lagos who possibly want to please a governor with a deep pocket. Fortunately, Ambode knew coker is my friend, and there’s nothing he could do about it!
Though we fell out due to certain perceptions on national tourism development, we left a door and window for reconciliation. Yomi Abudu, his very loyal aide, was pained and did his best to pull us back together. Odi Anumba, his special duties aide in ntda, was equally frontal for a renewed handshake.
Nkereweum Onung, President of Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria ( FTAN), worked day and night to break the ice. Coker is blunt and stubborn , a trait we both shared in quantum.
Nkereweum Onung knew but with determinated genuine intent to broker peace, spent the past two years working on the strength that bond coker and I in the past. Nkereweum Onung knew we had mutual respect and love for each other and how he got know, maybe through impassioned throw back reflections on how we threw pride away and worked hard to enthrone lagos tourism on the frontline of national economic discussions, counted and encouraged him.
Before my visit to ntda on Wednesday, Nkereweum Onung funded an expanded meeting with coker, Nura Kangiwa, formerly of NIHOTOUR, two directors from the ministry of tourism, and Badaki Aliyu, ftan first deputy president. My respected colleagues, Okorie Uguru and Andrew Okungbowa, were in attendance.
I crave their permission to mention this meeting, which actually opened doors to what happened last Wednesday. Nkereweum Onung is the most powerful industry personality as President of the Federation and knew he could get the best of an inclusive tourism peace if the media and the public sector were not at war. A man of peace and wisdom, Nkereweum onung is clearly misunderstood by certain entrenched interests in the sector due to his independent opinion and intent to carry every shade of opinions along so as to give cultural tourism narratives in Nigeria a united and bankable front.
My thoughts on his leadership of ftan is for another day, and on this visit to folarin Coker, whom i understand is now a red cap chief from igbo land apart from being the Baba Eto of lagos, was engineered by the irrepressible ftan president.
Nkereweum Onung drove me down and ensured I didn’t plan an excuse. It’s was like the old gregarious gathering we used to have in his days in lagos as Commissioner of Tourism. Coker made no pretence to have me back. Peace is an enduring virtue of life and for the good of humanity and development.
The gist line was plenty, the recall of old days, the one lagos tourism agenda, the poor funding of tourism, and the high expectations from all.
” we must have a conversation.” coker began in his usual oratorial style. ” we must get together again, and Mr President ( Nkereweum Onung), you must lead. Time has come for us to find out where we are going and what the problem is. I believe we all know the problem and must sit down together to chat a new direction. We shall use the World Tourism Day slated for September 27 to get the movement together. Get the tourism press and sectorial leaders together and with ftan in front, sit down to chart a new course “
” Frank, it is good to have you back here, and whatever happened between us is a conversation, no hard feelings, but I must warn you that you don’t have friends among your colleagues. You have a good heart, and I am looking forward to our Amala eat out days in lagos. ” coker beamed with custom-made charming smiles which notably swing ladies off their feet.
I was running late for my flight, and he noticed, revealing his deep love and appreciation for my visit, directing his aides to get me another flight ticket.
” it is not all the time, I see frank , and for crying out loud, i left everything I was to do today to meet Frank, so Frank is not hurrying out of here. Get him the last flight out of Abuja. ” He barked with so much enthusiasm and love. I was astonished and wondered as I processed the reconciliatory gesture.
Nkereweum Onung kept a straight face. After all, his heart desires to see peace return to the sector, and he saw it playing out before him. The Coker that I know very well and who does not suffer fools gladly showed tremendous respect to Nkereweum Onung, whom he called “Mr. President”.
I sat back, and because the air conditioning system was at its peak anddirectlyin front of me, I made for the toilet of the DG as if I was in my room. If the coker I know very well is free with you, he hides no secret and no airs! Nkereweum Onung insisted that the peace he desired for the sector must give birth to verifiable tourism deliveries and projects, which would make Nigerians take us seriously.
There was a lot said, and I was given room to share my feelings. What exactly do you say to a friend whom you once faced opposition together and later fell out with? What must I say other than to stick to my love for the industry and its values to creating jobs and unifying our people. What do I say to a friend who admits that we should have thrown our personal irritations away and worked together as we did when he bestrode lagos tourism as a general?
I requested that he give us the ntda that we craved for, that can power potential tourism products and offerings that wilk bring glory to Nigeria and her people. That was all I asked and promised to join hands with him and ftan to change our cultural tourism narratives even though we are doing a countdown to his remaining seven months stay as the DG of Nigeria’ public sector tourism agency.
To those who alleged a sell-out, I just wondered if they knew that is a pain to war and fight in this industry every other time. It is a difficult call to stand in opposition and demand discipline and accountability from our leaders. I am a veteran, a tested warrior to keep our leaders on their toes with the many hazards, betrayals by colleagues, and even the national assembly who would support us just for their selfish ends.
I hate no one, and for this industry and its huge impact on our people and nation, I will stand up in a gap but sufficiently guided to support any effort to make us proud and respected. Coker deserves the same measure of love and respect he accorded me on Wednesday. I look forward to changes and a renewed hope for Nigerian cultural tourism. I have not changed!
