Gani Adams advocates cultural-tourism rebirth

The Global Promoter Olokun Festival Foundation and National Cordinator, Oodua Peoples’ Congress (OPC), Otunba Gani Adams has called on the Federal Government to initiate a national cultural–tourism campaign to jerk up the seemingly moribund sector into activism.

Otunba Adams made this suggestion in his birthday speech delivered at Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, on Sunday, 30 April, 2017, a ceremony attended by traditional rulers, including the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, who was represented by Aare Ayandotun Oyelakin, Onigbaye of Igbayeland, Oba Okunola Oni, Oba Nasir Lawal Oba of Shasha Kingdom, Oba Adeogun Ogunbonna, Olu of Igbore, Oba Solomon Adisa Shokunbi Olu of Ilemode, Oba Kolawole Sowemimo, Olu of Owode, Oba Sikiru Adeniyi Egbeyemi, Oba Idowu Akindele, Alakute of Akute, Oba Idowu Akindele.

Also honouring him were, Afenifere pan—Yoruba socio—political group chieftain, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, spokesperson of the group, Mr Yinka Odumakin; religious leaders, such as Sheik Ahmed Tijani and Professor Samsudeen Saka, were among those that were in attendance.

The  popular fuji musician, Wasiu Alabi Pasuma, who was on stage entertained  the academia, including Professor Banji Akintoye, the human rights world, Dr Joe Okei- Odumakin and Mr Tony Uranta, Comrade Joseph Eva, Pastor Kayode Williams,  Pastor Israel Oladele, Sir Shina Peters as well as representatives from the business, cultural, media  and entertainment world, among others.

The convener, Oodua Progressive Union, OPU, Otunba Adams pointed out “I have noticed that apart from President Olusegun Obasanjo who created the Ministry of Culture and Tourism which was retained by the President Goodluck Jonathan‘s government, but has been submerged into Ministry of Information by President Muhammadu Buhari, the sector’s vibrancy has been dimmed into irrelevance which is not good for the economic wellbeing of the nation”.

He revealed “The tourism sector is stronger than the oil sector. It is a sector which has quick and effortless ROI (Return on Investment) faster than the Solid minerals. It is also a sector which chain of reaction touches almost every part of the economy. This is a sector which deserves exclusive and special attention for it is more beneficial to the economic growth of the nation than some of those with separate ministries”.

‘I have studied the phenomenon economic ascendancy of Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Cote D’ivoire, Gambia, South–Africa,  UAE, India, Kenya, Malta, Rwanda, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Thailand and learnt how these great countries  conscientiously tapped the tourism potentialities within them for growth”

He called for a change of approach in national policy adoption, administrative appointments and legal framework as regard the nation’s quest to tourism buoyancy.

Otunba Adams said ‘Our tourism policy guides are defective, analogue, conservative and retrogressing. We are doing the same thing, the same way and the same approach. This cannot take us to any length and that is why we are where we are today. It is high time the nation embarked on a national tourism rebirth campaign to sensitise the nation on the import and essentials of tourism as an economic activity and as a means of development. The time is now or we shall remain stagnant and lag behind in the global tourism rating”.