FTAN elects new executive

The umbrella  body  for  Nigeria’s private sector tourism business professionals, the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), has elected new executives to pilot the affairs of the body for the next two years. The election in Abuja penultimate week saw Mr. Rabo Saleh Karim of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) emerge as the president of the association. Other executive members elected include Mr. Nkereuwem Onung as the first national deputy president; Chief Abiodun Odusanwo, second national deputy president, Chief Ayo Olumoko vice president, South West; Alhaji  Nura Kangiwa, vice president, North East; Mrs. Ngozika Ngoka, vice president South East; Mr. Badaki Aliyu, vice president , FCT; Mr. John A. Adzer, vice president, North Central; Mrs. Ime Udo, membership secretary (1); Mr. John-Likita M.Best, membership secretary (2) and Mr. Emeka Anokwuru, membership secretary (3).
Other executive members include Mr. Okorie Uguru, first publicity secretary, and Mr. Joseph Karim, publicity secretary (2).
In his goodwill message, the chairman of FTAN’s Board of Trustees, Chief Samuel Alabi, said the era of the Federal Government agency controlling or co-ordinating tourism has gone for good. He said unless there is a constitutional amendment to include tourism under the exclusive or concurrent list  of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, it would be difficult for a federal agency to fully control tourism in the whole country.
He said: “ The fact that the federal attorney-general is yet to apply Section 215 of the 1999 Constitution of the heavily mutilated NTDC Act is still a surprise to me.”
On the controversial NIHOTOUR bill, Alabi said: “During my time as the president of FTAN, I approached NIHOTOUR to provide an enabling environment for a private sector-driven certification body in the tourism sector like CITN, ICAN, IPMN, NIPRP. In fact, a draft bill was prepared but thereafter nothing was heard from NIHOTOUR’s end. I was shocked when I saw that the certification bill incorporated into the now heavily castigated NIHOTOUR bill. I urge FTAN to play a leading role in this regard and sort out the mess.”