By Frank Meke.
The mercies and compassions of God to mankind are endless. God has always been patient and kind towards us, and there were several examples of this noble gesture towards humanity to which we have taken for granted, with possibly a few people ever willing to comprehend or understand it.
This morning, I had read about the desire of our President to commit to our welfare and security as Nigerians. I know and am aware that many people, Nigerians in particular, frustrated by years of political rascality, wont t believe him, but I do. Yes, I do because all his life, President Ahmed Tinubu has always shown compassion to many people around him even before he ventured into politics .
I had once read of ex governor and ex minister , Babatunde fashola’ s testimony about the President’s deep heart of compassion when he (President ) was with mobile oil . According to fashola, who later was his chief of staff when the President was governor of lagos state, hec( fashola) and friends would visit the President in his office as egbon ( senior),in the evenings and smile away with goodies unexpected from the President. Interestingly, the president never asked for anything in return. My good friend, Folarin Coker also regaled me with the president’ s love to him and others, frontal deep Compassion unmistakable and to which has become like a badge to the legacy of humanity enduring character of Ahmed Tinubu even before he became president.
I also know of many journalists today who became critical care givers to others and their communities and the many institutions around them because Mr. President went out of his way to provide them with succour and opportunities.
My late father and mentor, the Emir of Borgu, a political contemporary of the President, and a prophet king, severally told me of the many good things the President did and are capable of doing as an individual and a politician. The late Emir, Dr Haliru Dantoro, the irrepressible great king of Borgu nation who himself was an embodiment of love and Compassion to his subjects, and Nigerians at large, put his thoughts and beliefs in Bola Ahmed Tinubu years ahead of time before Ahmed Bola Tinubu became President of Nigeria with the traditional title as the jagaba( n) of Borgu.
To the simplistic and unassuming, that prophetic gesture could be likened to any or to many frenzy traditional tittles brandished across Nigeria over time, but in truth to the deep spiritual and cultural interpretations, the Jagaba( n) traditional recognition to Mr President, truly signifies and propelled the spiritual and political presence and manifestation of President Ahmed Tinubu as the divine deliverer of the Nigerian people.
I write and speak as a close confidant of late Emir of Borgu, a leader himself who gave all to the rise and rise of Borgu kingdom even beyond our borders, at will sacrificially and through divine inspiration, turned Borgu land into a cultural tourism economic destination in his lifetime and also with a heart of Compassion, mobilised his many political friends, President Ahmed Tinubu in particular, to show mercy, and Compassion, given to succour Nigerians.
The late Emir of Borgu, Dr Haliru Dantoro is no more but today as Nigerians celebrate this enigmatic and uncommon President with a gift of Compassion, humility and wisdom, it is important that we learn to pray for our leaders and not hate them. When we pray and ask God to bless our leaders and nation, God will provide us with good leaders, those who succour and reveal His( God) divine Compassionate attributes and presence through their service and protection of the country.
As cultural tourism orphans, I stand in gap to appeal to our President to carefully process our expectations and needs in this sector. We want Mr. President to show us compassion by appointing us cultural tourism minister(s) and agency heads with hearts compassion and the willingness to serve with humility and wisdom.
Our minister, Hannatu Musa Musawa, has failed us completely and her very disappointing strides are legion ,almost all those failings before the Presidency. Some of our agency leaders are doing well and could do better if Mr. President could look into their proper funding expectations.
One of your political sons, Folarin Coker left office last weekend after eight years as Director General, Nigeria Tourism Development Authority ( NTDA) and we request for a new change not just the mere appointment of a new DG after our hearts but by merging ntda and nihotour ( National Institute of Hospitality and Tourism) to give us a less confounding environment devoid of the present operational lacuna and regulatory dislocations affecting the industry.
Dear Sir, Mr President, this birthday greetings from me, it’s not actually a time to petition your office about the many dark forces and set backs hindering our effectual cultural tourism growth but to appeal to your avowed commitment and Compassion to help liberate the industry from Hannatu Musa Musawa’s many benubbing shackles which are unprecedented.
Please, Mr. President, as a birthday gift to our industry, please declare a state of emergency in the culture and tourism space in Nigeria, at least at the centre. We need to sit down and reprocess our expectations and what we should do for our people. We need new leaders as servants or not task masters. Hannatu Musa Musawa is a task master and is killing us gradually. We are tired as a business and an industry, being regarded as mere academic figures and advantage for political job openings for the boys.
At the National Assembly , being made chairmen and members of the cultural tourism committees comes with organised mockery and shame. Unfortunately, those who deride and muscle our full potentials are some the ignorant beneficiaries of the greatest gifts associated with our cultural tourism economy.
The truth, sir, Mr. President, is that many who had before now come our way as either ministers or DGs are Rehoboams and not the Josephs of our time.
Honestly, Mr. President, I believe that the cultural tourism economy will thrive under your administration, and only time will tell. However, the need for a declaration of cultural tourism state of emergency is Now , Now, and Now. An executive order, pending the time the national assembly would unshockable the many legal landmines inherent in our space, is desirable, very desirable
We need a sole administrator to work out the future of ntda and nihotour. Since Aare Abisoye Fagade is holding forth at Nihotour, he can stand up in gap to administer the recalibration of these two institutions into one powerful, purposeful and enduring industry outfit worthy to truly represent and promote Nigerian cultural tourism sector.
And since governance is about the good and welfare of the people, the private sector organised body, Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria, should be part of the administrative ecosystem to usher in a new dawn for an industry sensitive government cultural tourism agency body.
Mr. President, this is indeed wishing you a happy birthday, sir. To those of us who understand the spiritual depth and interpretations of figures 7 and 3, we pray for your peace, good health, and well-being to lead Nigeria to the promised land. May God divide your Jordan, grant you strength to use the “Rod” of Nigerian presidency to break every yoke of poverty, and political darkness in Nigeria ijn.
Happy birthday, Prophet Moses of our time. I rejoice with you and your family. Congratulations sir.