The Director General of Ekiti State Bureau of Tourism Development, Amb. Wale Ojo-Lanre, has described as an insult on President Bola Armed Tinubu, call by states Commissioners for Tourism, permanent secretaries and directors of Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, for merging of the Ministry of Tourism with Ministry of Culture.
Ojo-Lanre said this while reacting to a question from journalists about the call from the commissioners and directors.
Recall that for many years, tourism stakeholders have clamoured for a stand-alone tourism ministry. Recall also the the President Tinubu administration created the Ministry of Tourism some months ago.
However commissioners, permanent secretaries and directors of MDAs in culture and tourism from across the states of the federation, early this month at a conference in Abuja called for the merger of culture and tourism into one ministry.
Ojo-Lanre averred, “Calling for the merger of the new Tourism Ministry with the new Ministry of Culture, Arts and Creative Economy is silly, stupid, senseless, uncultured irresponsible, and a brazen slight to President Bola Ahme Tinubu.
“It’s a meticulously orchestrated plan by certain political figures within the government, aimed at undermining the progress in the tourism sector and tarnishing the reputation of President Tinubu. These individuals are attempting to discredit the President’s decision to establish a stand-alone Tourism Ministry, drawing parallels with successful models in countries like France, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Jamaica, South Africa, Maldives, and Canada.
“The motive behind this move is a blatant insult to President Tinubu’s integrity, implying that he lacked foresight when creating a separate Tourism Ministry in August, only to merge it with another by December. This deliberate attempt to portray the President as unwise and foolish is an affront.
“The suggestion appears irresponsible and seems to stem from a group with a limited understanding of governance, perhaps influenced by personal interests or made in a state of inebriation after a hearty meal. The idea not only lacks credibility, but also mocks the integrity of those proposing it, portraying them as jesters without a genuine understanding of their roles.”
Insisting that many of the proponents of the merger idea are likely political appointees, with little or no knowledge of tourism, arts, and culture, rendering their opinions uninformed and irrelevant to the sector, the former chairman of the Oyo State Council of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, who is also a lawyer, added, “The context, circumstances, and setting where such a suggestion was made further highlight its immaturity and lack of seriousness.”
