The eighth Senate under the leadership of Senator Bukola Saraki has made history in the annals of tourism development in Nigeria as the first Senate which has consciously stood up to address the fundamental issues of legislation necessary for the buoyancy of the tourism economy in Nigeria.
Demonstrating its avowed legislative responsibility and responsiveness to the nation, the Senate Committe on Culture and Tourism on Thursday 15, June, 2017 held the first ever public Hearing on National Institute For Hospitality and Tourism ( NIHOTOUR ).
This singular act of the eighth senate was the only time since 1962 when Nigeria has been playing in the tourism arena that a national legislative body would deem it fit to call for a public hearing on any tourism issue or bill.
The Senate in accordance with the legislative procedure and in tandem with the rule of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism publicly christened the bill National Institute For Hospitality and Tourism (Establishment etc) Bill 2016(SB 380) at Conference Room 022, Senate Building, New Wing, with full attendance of the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, members of the Senate Committe under the headship of Senator Mathew A. Urhoghide, all recognised tourism associations, members of the private sector and the media.
Declaring the Public hearing opened, the Senate President , said “It is imperative for the Senate in accordance with its statutory functions laid the fundamental legislations for the growth of the tourism sector”.
In the speech read by Senator Philip Aduda Tanimu the Senate Minority whip who represented the Senate President pointed out “Our genuine desire to plant the economy of Nigeria on a multi – front platform is based on the need to have viable alternative to oil.
“The state of our nation’s economy today further reinforces the urgent need to initiate deliberate and sustained efforts towards diversifying our mono product economy which is largely dependent on crude oil.”
The Senate President pointed out “The culture and tourism industry is a veritable means of driving the renaissance of a vibrant economic activity in Nigeria. Indeed the indicators are extremely encouraging. Our country’s movie industry is ranked second in the world. However our dance, tourism and music are huge potentials that remain largely untapped. We have found out that one of the reasons mitigating against the emergence of a viable tourism economy is the dearth of legal provisions which will help in facilitating and assuring standard of ethics in the industry”.
Senator Saraki said “I am particularly happy that members of the Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism under Senator Urhoghide is living up to the challenge I hurled on them during the inauguration of this Committee when I urged members to develop strategies to harness these opportunities and further ensure that our tourist sites are developed and made appealing enough to attract foreign direct investments. I am glad to be part of the history today”.
He assured the tourism stakeholders of the readiness and willingness of the Senate to collaborate with the private sector on legislative capacity at ensuring the enhancement of the tourism sector.
Senator Saraki said “we are seeking the best for the tourism industry. It is one sector which we are confident that with proper legislation and statutory back up and with both private and public sectors being in a synergy of purpose, tourism will generate the necessary foreign earnings into the coffers of the nation. Wishing you a fruitful deliberation in order to get the best and worthy law for NIHOTOUR”.
Senator Urhoghide who was impressed by the turnout of tourism stakeholders at the public hearing remarked that ‘the turnout today is a confirmation of the fact that tourism sector is key to the society .This is one of the very few times when this hall would be filled to the brim. This is to show that what we are doing here today is not only essential, but of utmost important”.
Senator Uhroghide’s displayed a high level sense of human management and crowd control when he kicked off the public hearing by succinctly elucidating to the stakeholders the essence of the gathering.
He pointed out ‘We are gathered here to have your view and affirm your papers sent to us. I want everyone here to know that what we have on NIHOTOUR is not a law, but a Bill. It is a private member bill which has passed the First Reading and must pass through public hearing before it goes back to the Senate for the Second Reading. This is an avenue created by law for stakeholders to have inputs and contribute to the law that will guide their professional and economic activities”.
Senator Urhoghide remarked “I want to make it clear that it is unfair to the tourism sector for any of the parastatals in the Tourism Ministry to operate without legal framework duly passed by the Senate. This is what we are here to do for NIHOTOUR and which we expected other agency to follow suit”.
Senator Ndubusi Anyanwu, another member of the committee eloquently reinforced the essence of the day “we are here to fine tune this bill. It is imperative on all of us to contribute and point out any contentious areas for modification, amendment, removal and re adjustment. This is why we are here. It is not about lording a law over the industry. This is the procedure and we must observe the rule”.
In her contribution, Senator Fatima Raji Rasaki, another member of the committee urged participants to clinically sieve the bill and point out areas that needed improvement and refining.
She pointed out “This is an opportunity created by the constitution for us all as citizens of Nigeria to have a say in making NIHOTOUR a legal entity”.
The NIHOTOUR bill’s public hearing commanded the presence of, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alahji Lai Muhammed who was represented by Dr Adaliku, the Director – Generals of some of the parastatals under the Ministry of Information and Culture and delegates of private sectors associations.
The major bone of contention in the bill which stoke tension and caused a rise in emotion, tempers and apprehension was the section which seek to confer a supervisory role on NIHOTOUR.
This section was bitterly criticised and punctured by all who presented the papers.
It took the wisdom of Senator Urhoghide and other Senators to pacify and calm the tension of some of the presenters who had come with a set mind.
Some of the presenters could not understand how a Bill becomes a law as one of them was advocating that the bill should be stepped down.
But the extensive and continual education of the participants embarked upon by the Senators saved the public hearing from being rowdy.
At the end of the public hearing, it was agreed that all the sections which seem to have arrogated power of supervisory role on NIHOTOUR should be modified, excised, expunged and removed and that the agency should fasten up its role as a pure training ground.
Commenting on the efforts of the Senate, Otunba Ayo Olumoko, President, INFOGEM, the promoter of Osun Osogbo and Olojo Festival said “This is the beginning of a new trend in the tourism sector. It is gratifying that we now have an attentive Senate which is ready and willing to help midwife sane, healthy and standard tourism sector. I also congratulate.
The icing on the cake was the contribution of Wale Ojo Lanre, President, Guild of Tourism Journalists in Nigeria and Associate Editor, Tourism, Nigerian Tribune.
Speaking Ojo–Lanre said “This is one of our finest moments in the tourism sector in Nigeria. I have been covering tourism for almost two decades; this is the first time we are blessed with a Senate that is not only altruistic in dispensing its constitutional duty, but having a robust sense of responsibility to the tourism sector. This is not only commendable but historical. I also must commend NIHOTOUR for coming out strongly and blazing the trail for legalisation. What it has done is an eye opener which other agencies should emulate”.
He however called the attention of the Senate “To one of the blunders which Nigeria has committed and which is strangulating and suffocating the nation’s tourism growth and advancement, that is the lumping or merging of the Tourism Ministry with another ministry. No nation which is serious about tourism development ever subsumed the Tourism Ministry under another one, rather it is the opposite that happen. I am calling on the Senate to use its constitutional power and network at making sure that a separate ministry is created for Tourism so, that all our efforts today and more will not end in futility.”
The submission by Ojo–Lanre was not only widely accepted by all, but was considered as a major output of the Public Hearing as both Senators Urhoghide and Anyanwu concurred.
Speaking on Ojo–Lanre’s submission, Senator Anyanwu said “I am totally in line with the submission of the Associate Editor, Tourism from the Nigerian Tribune. It is one of the major thinking we are taking away from this gathering. I, Senator Ndubusi Anyanwu will take this submission as a personal campaign. I agree that the tourism sector deserves a fully fledged Ministry”
Senator Abubakar Ahmadu Moallahyidi, Vice–Chairman Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism in his vote of thanks paid special tribute to all , the Senate President Senator Saraki and specially Senator Lanre Tejuoso, who came to show solidarity to the tourism sector and to see that NIHOTOUR, a training institute for the hospitality sector has a legal status.
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