How many times have we been told that this land is flowing with milk and honey, blessed beyond our wildest dreams? What have we done about it apart from mouthing development and quoting dates when we will reach El Dorado? Well El Dorado is for those who pay more than lip service to their ambition. It is not for lazy people. It is not for those who think one day procrastinators will rule the world. It is not for those who prefer shortcuts to purposeful hard work. We seem to be suffering from delusions about our economic invincibility.

Somehow, we have convinced ourselves that our oil wells won’t ever run dry. There is nothing wrong with positive confession as long as we know where to draw the line of demarcation. But do we know where to stop? I don’t think so. Our oil has gone to our heads and we can neither think straight nor see beyond our oil-rich noses. Otherwise, any wise nation would have seen how our so-called black gold is gradually casting a cloud of thick darkness on our peace. And like the Action Congress alerted recently, we should be worried about the troubles in the Niger Delta spreading to other parts of the country. Over the years, we have gone on and on with oil as if this country will collapse without it. And I think that is the laziest attitude we have.

But we do have alternatives to oil. We are blessed enough and lazy enough. God knew we are a lazy bunch but I’m sure even He is shocked at the degree of our laziness and complacency. Last year I did a piece like this. I’m doing it again., this time as a letter to Mr President

Dear Mr President, I offered serious prayers here last week. Let me quickly start then by thanking the Almighty for answering my prayers on our leaders who go abroad and bring nothing back except designer stuff. We prayed that God should let them start bringing back ideas to implement so that our country will not continue to waste estacode on shameless men and unproductive trips.

Sir, that man at the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, NTDC, has great ideas about how we can turn tourism in Nigeria to a money spinner. Like your former colleague, Donald Duke did with Obudu Ranch and Resorts, Otunba Segun Runsewe thinks that Nigeria is one big resort and he is so pained that this Garden of Eden is being allowed to go fallow. Considering that one of your seven-point agenda is tackling unemployment, I believe nothing puts money directly in the pockets of the common man like tourism. It is a violence-free venture. It is not likely to start another evil sector in our economy like hostage-taking and kidnapping. Tourism has potentials to put us on the world map not as Africa ’s Middle East in the making or a haven for terrorists. Tourism will bring peace, solve our unemployment problems and write your name in gold.

I know you have a lot on your plate but you are surrounded by people who can make things work. For one, they love their political positions and would do anything to keep it. So it is easy to get them to perform. Subtle threats, subtle ultimatum and they will do as they are told.

I once worked in NTDC and so I have a few inside information. Even four years ago, I used to tell my colleagues that NTDC is understaffed and under-funded. Well, Runsewe has found a way to turn the place around. When I visited the place last week, if not for the number on the door, I would not have recognized my former office. As a journalist, I have found out that it is easier to write about what you can see, tangible stuff. Don’t tell a columnist to write about developments in your state or what your ministry or parastatal has achieved, show him..

And does he have something to be proud of? Boy, I was there before,. NTDC today is a tourism village. I am particularly impressed and excited by the first Idiri Centre, a centre where women can plait their hair. And Runsewe wants the Idiri Centre in every state of the federation. Do you know how many girls we can stop from going to Italy to trade their bodies with that? Do you know how many male stylists we can train and keep off the streets? I suggest Lagos should get 57 Idiri Centres and use it to train area boys. Male stylists are great. Do you know how many women there are in Nigeria? Multiply that by N1,000 and find the average of how much we will get into the pockets of hitherto unemployed Nigerians.

There is this saying among my people that a warrior once claimed that he killed seven people at the war front and some people doubted him. He went ahead and killed seven goats at home, if we didn’t see the seven enemies at least we saw the seven goats. If an office premises has a history room where the first pressing iron, Tiv pipes, gramophone, Changer, and all kinds of historical artifacts even me had only read about, then I can imagine what tourism will be if you, Mr President, decides to take it to the next level.

According to Otunba Runsewe, Nigeria can be a tourist haven in no time at all if we are serious about it. In fact, Nigeria can become Dubai in 10 years if we start now. Mr President, what are we waiting for? In 2005 Dubai recoded 6.5 million visitors. In 2006, they had 6.8miliion. I bet Nigerian business men, Senators, Representatives, governors and ministers constitute a large chunk of that figure.

Sir, we have the weather, the ambience, the heart to do tourism. It is just the political will that I’m not sure of. And then there is the issue of 140million Nigerians using overloaded bad roads. Our energy sector is moribund. Our security situation is pathetic. But we can change the tide, after all there was something called no cash backing before Runsewe got to NTDC. Somehow there is now cash backing.

It is possible to create an environment that will make tourism the real and immediate alternative to oil. We can make more than the $170m Dubai makes on visa procurement alone.

Why must we go on like the Biblical prodigal son who did not consider his ways until he started dining with the pigs? Runsewe’s NTDC has started well and anybody who visits his tourism village will know that we can do better than this. The supervising minister deserves a pat on the back but there is so much to be done, so very much.

As they write in civil service, please accept assurances of my warmest regards.