Until last week, I was not too sure that our Culture and Tourism Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed could really muster a good and hearty smile. Before now, he appears “too serious” at defending and explaining virtually all issues as it concerns this government which he also represents as Information Minister. From security issues of Boko Haram, the unbundling of the economy and the image of Nigeria in the eyes of the world, it was Mohammed’s lot to stand in gap, most times in difficulty trying to win every country man to his side.
On tourism and culture which he met in tatters, Lai Mohammed as a consummate politician did not hide his disappointment. His body language on Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) then under Sally Mbanefo was clearly restrained due to legal framework on government appointments but left to his best mental solution to the bad rubbish of the “flag fashion” tourism administration of Mbanefo, the immediate surgery option by Lai Mohammed was to get rid and possibly expose the rot in NTDC.
As with NTDC, Lai Mohammed also kept his cool with other non-performing agencies under his watch such as the National Museum and Monument, Centre for Black and Africa civilization (CBAAC), National Theatre, National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) and all the other lots that became a burden. In truth, this reporter made life a little difficult for the minister, watching his very restraint moves and pushing for a speed train tourism revolution.
It is my mandate as a tourism journalist to push the minister to full restoration of Nigeria tourism glory, and so doing there are bound to be irritations and reactions from the “serious faced” Minister of Tourism and Culture. From my observatory post, I could perceive that the minister needs help and guidance but was surrounded any civil servants who are the real clogs in government determined agenda to push tourism and culture beyond the mundane.
At tourism stakeholders meeting over a year ago, Lai Mohammed sat through the event at prestigious Transcop Hilton Hotel Abuja very silent and attentive as the “dead sea”. Possibly, he knew that tourism hawks and portfolio office seekers were after him, so he decided to go it alone.
From all his tourism public and private engagements, the Afonja decendant from Kwara took the gospel of tourism on a missionary journey across the nation and to a waiting world, ready to hear Nigerian tourism story. There was no one to help and of they offered to help, he politely avoided them.
At 2016 celebration of World Tourism Day in Lagos, this reporter observed that Lai Mohammed came to the event alone without extra “burdensome” team of non-performing heads of agencies under his ministry. Reporters at the event laughed off the noticeable Seeming struggle to sit with the minister by the gate crashing, uninvited and “eye service” generating agencies heads.
As much as the minister has the right to choose his friends and possibly those to work with, my candid position is that minister must draw the line between tourism policy development, planning, execution and supervision. With hindsight, one could appreciate now why Lai Mohammed wanted to drive, execute and supervise all tourism action programmes which to an extent made me to pay more than extra attention on his tourism activities.
One other area which the minister did not factor quickly into this aggressive push for tourism is the relationship with the private sector. As far as am concerned, Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) as constituted today, is not representative of the needs and aspirations of industry and so one canvassed for a reach out to stakeholders who are the forefront of the war to revive the nose-diving of the sector.
Last week while I was away in Owerri, Lai Mohammed broke that jinx and am aware he met some key industry leaders at his Isaac John home in Lagos. Interestingly, Lai Mohammed is now laughing, showing forth the jolly good fellow he was noted for when he received in his office in Abuja last week the iconic tourism and culture apostle, Otunba Segun Rensewe who come with a 300 million loan facility for the creative arts community sealed with Bank of Industry (BOI), less than a week in office.
That “momentous” event was on covers of most national dailies, online publications and national television stations primed as a special announcement that Lai Mohammed has now found a soul mate to translate and execute this administration’s dreams of job creation and true empowerment of Culture and tourism enterprises.
There is no doubt that Lai Mohammed by that BOI/NCAC master stroke has flagged off a new dawn for culture tourism revival and like we always prayed for our leaders, may the glory of this new beginning be acceptable to God and may Lai Mohammed remain strong to resist satanic civil service pressure to work against those sent to make his job easier and enduring.
I am absolutely sure that the minister will henceforth take to enthroning the best tourism and culture policy agenda and give unfettered access and support to the execution of such dreams by operational heads of agencies who must break solid rocks to fetch tourism and culture water for the people and government of Nigeria to drink.

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