DECKED in a smartly designed Ankara dress which fits perfectly on her slim, fragile physique that blends with a radiant complexion, Mrs Sally Mbanefo breezed into the conference room of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) office located in Alausa, Lagos like an angel descending from the firmament with a special message from the Lord almighty to expectant disciples of the faith.
Mrs Mbanefo, the newly appointed Director-General, NTDC on Thursday, September 5, 2013 was not delivering any gospel rather, She was there to rub – mind with journalism practitioners in the tourism sector.
Accompanied by Ogbeni Tope Awe, the first Nigerian journalist to sign a tourism page in the annals of journalism practice in Nigeria and other officials of the corporation, Sally engaged in hand popping felicitation with the gentlemen of the press before she was ushered into the top table.
After a brief exposition of the mission of the day by Emeka Aneto, Ogbeni Awe made an insightful remark on why the rising momentum of the tourism sector must be maintained and projected proportionally bearing in mind the peculiar nature of Nigeria as a developing nation without tending to foreign stereotypes and projections.
He expressed confidence on the ability of Mbanefo, a tested and thoroughly horned technocrat with bias for marketing and promotion, particularly “at this point in time when the labour and gains in the sector needed an accomplished technocrat and business minded person to horn and process them for economic and empowerment benefits of the citizens of this country.”
Displaying her mystery of communication strategy, Mbanefo, when called upon to make her remark, warmly craved the attention of the journalists to watch a video clip for just five minutes.
The clip was classical shots of some exotic tourists’ sites in Nigeria which was touched in a way that tickled the fantasy and imagination of people that it was accorded a wild applause as it came to an end.
And to be convinced beyond the applause she asked the guests,” what is your impression?
Good, great, exciting and alluring, were some of the adjectives used to describe the concept, production and packaging of the clip by the guests.
Mbanefo said, “Yes that is where the story starts. Nigeria has a compelling story to tell the world. And nobody can do that better, well and appropriately adequate than we ourselves and you gentlemen of the press who have been in this particular road of exposing the tourism potentialities of the wonderful and great country.”
She pointed out that “ It is a fact one can tell her own story. But we have also learnt that a story of one is better told by another man who is quite familiar. Also, Shakespeare in Julius Caeser said that “the eyes see not itself, but by reflection by other things,” and I align myself with this that you are the mirror of the society.
You are the mirror of the tourism sector by specialisation. Nobody can tell the tourism story better than you, the professional story tellers. And this is the main reason you have to be involved right from the outset the compelling story of Nigeria tourism from practical tourism to economic empowerment, wealth mobilisation and employment generation.”
Mbanefo informed that “ The NTDC is ready and by this act forming a synergy of purpose with you, the professional story tellers in telling the compelling tourism story of Nigeria to first, we the Nigerians ourselves in a more fascinating way by bringing out powerfully the economic and empowerment realities in the story for the benefits of us all and international community in general.”
She disclosed that “This forum is not for media hype or publicity stunt. It was called essentially to rub-mind with you and intimate you of the fact that you are an essential and integral part of the re- engineered NTDC’s train of advanced progress and development.
“Without you being adequately seated at the front row of the train of progress, it will be effort in futility. And I am not here for that.”
Mbanefo revealed that “I wish to inform you that in the last 90 days, we have been able to restructure and reposition NTDC properly in the area of manpower, concept adaption and assimilation of the goals, mission and objective of the corporation. You will agree with me that having a mission or vision in an organisation is not the end of the beauty. The beauty continues with the people, I mean the staff sharing your vision, believing, embracing and espousing your vision. That is the issue. We have been able to achieve that. Our charity has began from our stead.”
She pointed out that “Having done the home briefing and letting them see themselves as the Director Generals of NTDC whose failure and success of the corporation is their lots, we are here to again enlist your support, engage your intellectual and journalism experience, tap your ideas and crave your objective criticism of whatever we are doing. We want you to know that the success or otherwise of this corporation and its activities will have a rebound on the nation.
Hence, here at NTDC, we are not going to fail the nation and we want you to be part of the success story.”
Mbanefo disclosed that “My predecessor, Otunba Segun Runsewe has taken NTDC into an impressive level, a bench mark which I am not only building upon, but raising it higher to the Glory of God and benefit of Nigerians. I will definitely unveil my vision, strategy and tactics of driving the tourism sector to the stakeholder at the Civic Centre, Ozumba Mbadiwe, Victoria Island, Lagos.
“I seek for your esteemed presence not for hearing sake, but a constructive critique of the steps through a feedback system.”
She revealed “We are going to concentrate on domestic tourism, selling and marketing Nigeria exotic places with compelling story of adequate security, improved infrastructure, naturally good natured and hospitable people.
“We are going to turn practical tourism to economic tourism which create wealth, generate employment and empower our people within Nigeria by involving corporate entities, multi-national corporations, individuals, diplomatic forum and all potent tourism stakeholders.”
Mbanefo affirmed that “I don’t believe in being loud unnecessarily, I love counting and reeling achievements and making impact in a well couched measured tone.
Anything that happens to a being is for a purpose, for a reason and for a season. The virtue of the man is to locate the reason for the purpose and the essence of a person at a duty post is the ability to make an evergreen and imperishable impact at his duty post. This I promise, with the grace of Almighty God and support of all concerned, we shall jointly take NTDC beyond the imagination and acute perception of all. Just wait and see. I am here to make impacts.”
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