PHILIP EKE, YENAGOA
In its bid to rejuvenate the moribund tourism sector in Bayelsa State as an alternative to the dwindling fortunes from oil, plans are under way to streamline and catalog the immense tourism potentials that exist in the State for international exposure.
Mrs. Ebiere Irene Musah, Director General of the Bayelsa State Tourism Development Agency who dropped this hint during an exclusive chat with newsmen in her office in Yenagoa, said the move is in line with the policy direction of government in harnessing alternative sources income away from oil and in a sustainable manner.
When asked about the lull in notable events of the Agency’s calendar, the DG attributed the development to the fact that the year 2015 was an election year and everybody’s attention including government was focused on the outcome of the elections, couple with the sad scenario in Bayelsa whereby the State lost eight illustrious daughters in an auto crash and with the recent death of Barr. Oronto Douglas, an icon in the Ijaw struggle and the Niger Delta, naturally translate the mood of state which do not call for celebration.
The DG further disclosed that very soon, the State will host the so much acclaimed Bayelsa International Jazz Festival and that the rest of its flagship events as AMAA, the African Caribbean American Awards, and the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (MBGN) beauty pageant in collaboration with the Silver Bird Group will be communicated.
According to the DG, the Agency is going through some restructuring with a view towards enthroning more emphasis on local content development and packaging for International consumption, stating that the only way to enhance the tourism sector for optimal benefits is in taking charge by way of personal perception via envisioning workable policy programmes and concepts.
In this direction, she disclosed that she and the newly sworn-in commissioner for Tourism are synergizing towards breaking new grounds in order that the internally generated revenue (IGR) profile of the State will exponentially increase.
Mrs. Musah attested to the fact that a critical component in wooing international investors to the tourism industry is one that requires packaging; stating that the Agency has been visiting the various festivals and that it has been targeting specific local events for international recognition, stressing that in the past, collaborative efforts have been made and that the Agency was thing of bringing some popular brands to sponsor some of the cultural events, and opined that where there were hiccups, the Agency was trying to bridge the gap.
Taking a holistic appraisal about the tourism industry, the DG said that due to competing demands of government limited resources, everything could not be done at a stretched, citing the massive infrastructural deficit that exists in developing climes such as our which presence would have aided the advancement of tourism, so she said as in every other area, including tourism, that government has to prioritize its needs.
She extolled the pragmatic type of leadership that the Restoration government of Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson has brought to bear kudos to the administration for the massive infrastructures being put in place across the board, particularly such projects as the three senatorial roads, the Agge Deep Seaport, the International Cargo Airport. These projects she said, when completed, would go a long way in opening upl the State for potential investors including tourists into the State to do business and thereby create jobs.
According the DG, there was a paradigm shift in the psyche of Bayelsans in gradually moving away from the “entitlement mentality” to ownership, brought about by the Governor in prudently managing the resources of the State, stressing that the prevailing peace in the State could not be quantified on account of the establishment of the Operation Doo Akpo security outfit which has significantly brought the responsibilities of criminal and cult activities in Yenagoa and its environs to within minutes.
She equally commended the banned on Okada operations, stating that the development is phenomenal, judging from the daily incidence of auto crashes that to occur within Yenagoa metropolis, for which available statistics from the Federal Medical centre (FMC) and other health institutions have drastically reduced.
The DG further disclose that everything government envisages in boosting the tourism sector is in pipeline, citing the no take –off of the proposed Fashion University in collaboration with the World Fashion Organization built in Bayelsa State for which she disclosed that modules were being designed with the International Institute for Tourism and Hospitality to run a coursed in fashion designing, pending when the proposed University come on board.
