The inaugural New Telegraph’s Nigeria Economic Summit, held
at an Ikeja Hotel yesterday, threw up a lot of talking points, especially in
relation to its theme of finding alternatives to Nigeria’s mono product economy.
Using a three legged approach of Solid Minerals, Agriculture
and Tourism to kick start the diversification process; the Summit provided a
roadmap for a workable non oil economic template.
The highlight for me was however, the face off of the two
Otunbas; Otunba Gbenga Runsewe, the
former DG of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, NTDC, and a Resource
Person at the Summit, and Otunba Gani Adams, who was there in his capacity as
The Chief Promoter of Olokun Festival Foundation, the platform he uses in promoting
about 27 festivals annually in the length and breadth of the Yoruba nation and
beyond.
Mr. Runsewe had earlier delivered a pulsating paper to show
how Nigeria missed it by abandoning Tourism. Using the Dubai example, aided by
pictures, he painted a picture of what could be achieved by a focused
leadership, as exemplified by the Dubai Miracle.
When it was time for contributions, Mr. Adams listed
different types of Tourism, which includes religious (Saudi Arabia, Israel,
Italy) Medical (India) Educational (UK, Ghana) Historical (UK, US, Senegal,
Greece) and even geographical (The Caribbean, Seychelles, Bahamas )
He then threw a clinger; that throughout Mr. Runsewe’s tenure
at NTDC, He never attended ONE of the festivals organized by the OFF, despite
numerous invitations, not to mention promoting or sponsoring such festivals in
his capacity as the then face of Tourism in Nigeria!
When Mr. Runsewe rose up to reply, I was expecting the usual
refrain; Budgetary constraints, conflicting scheduling, bureaucratic red tape,
etc.,
He rose to his full six foot plus frame, adjusted his
agbada, and with righteous indignation, he exploded;
‘I am a child of God; I do not attend festivals with fetish
undertones’
He then went on to talk about a festival in Enugu he refused
to attend because they sacrificed a
fowl, and he is not sure when the festival would require human sacrifice, blah,
blah.
And of course, Mr. Adams’ OPC antecedents.
And that to me, sums up the core of our problem as a nation;
hypocrisy.
The post of DG of NTDG is not hereditary, it is not ethnic
or religious based, the job requires identifying and promoting events and
places that are unique, so much so that people will pay to see it. It is a
purely an act of commercializing a cultural event that is unique, and build an
industry around it, thereby providing jobs and earning foreign exchange.
His quip about not attending festivals with fetish undertone
would have been laughable if it was not so pathetic. Fetish undertone? Really?
He thinks an Olokun
festival, held every year to celebrate the goddess of the sea, or an Oshun
Oshogbo is fetish, but would pay top dollar to watch the Rio festival? He would
fly out to Spain for the Bullfights but killing a fowl to honor our ancestors is fetish?
Taking the job you don’t believe in is sheer hypocrisy. It is
like the MD of a Brewery that doesn’t drink beer. How do you sell a product you
do not believe in? Why spend our Commonwealth hobnobbing all over the world as
cultural ambassador, but too busy to develop your own festivals, because
according to you, they have fetish undertones?
Fortunately, his successor suffers from no such inhibitions,
as she has led by example, attending most festivals, and playing an active role
in their propagation.
There is nothing wrong in having a belief system, but if it in
conflict with a national assignment, it would be in the interest of all of us
if one chooses the path of honor.
That is called integrity.
My Ten Kobo.
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