Runsewe harps on tourism and national security: Says state has no right to register hotel- Launches NTDC portal, www.tourism.gov.ng

By Wale Ojo-Lanre - updated: Wednesday 25-06-2008

Otunba Olusegun Runsewe,
DG, NTDC“TOURISM can not be promoted in a vacuum devoid of national security. That is one fundamental point we have to get right both at the federal, state and local government levels. We cannot allow terrorists and spies to infiltrate our country under the guise of tourism neither can we allow our hotels to be turned to operation XYZ control rooms for spies to destabilise the nation.”

The drive to enhance and promote the tourism potential of Nigeria will be done within the ambit of the law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and due cognisance of national security.

The nation’s chief tourism promoter, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, made this assertion at a press conference held in Abuja last week.

The Director-General, Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation assured that all things humanly possible would be done to promote, enhance and market Nigerian tourism but not at the expense of national security, pointing out that “Nigeria is talking about tourism today because our national security is not being jeopardised and because we still retain our sovereignty, if we allow the contrary to happen, then all our efforts will be in vain.”

He said that “Tourism cannot be promoted in a vacuum devoid of national security. This is one fundamental point we have to get right both at the federal, state and local government levels. We can not allow terrorists and spies to infiltrate our country under the guise of tourism neither can we allow our hotels to be turned to operation XYZ control rooms to destabilise the nation.”

Otunba Runsewe disclosed that, some states of the federation have been ignorantly taken some steps under the guise of enhancing tourism without consideration to national security.

“As the nation’s chief tourism promoter, we cannot look other way but warn these states to stop their nefarious anti-national security activities.” He declared that no state of the federation has the right to register hotel.

“The Federal Government tourism policy and law vested the power to register, grade and classify hotel and other hospitality dispenser outlets on the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation and that is how it is all over the world.

No country promotes tourism standards on tribal, ethnic or religious sentiment. That is why matters of registration, grading and classification of hotels are left in the hands of a national outfit. A foreign tourist expects the same standards in Star One hotel in Lagos and Bauchi. And if he was not treated well in one state, he will say he was badly treated in Nigeria by the time he get at home not that he was treated well in state A and treated badly in State B.

Otunba Runsewe informed that it was the penchant of some states and local governments to embark on registeration of hotels and other hospitality outfits that led to the issue of multiple taxation and rates being charged on these hotels.

“The law is very specific about who is to register, grade and classify hotel and also about the sharing formula. The fee for the registration charge on these hotels is shared viz, state 50 per-cent, federal government 40 per-cent, local government 10 per-cent.

Otunba Runsewe also informed that NTDC had created a portal on the world wide web for all hotels in Nigeria to cue in information about their guests for proper documentation.

“We found out that hotel managers are not in the habit of submitting information on their guests, because of one reason or the other. Hence we have created a portal where information on guests can be cued into the agency charged with the documentation of guests.”

Otunba Runsewe said that the NTDC has to work in tandem with all public agencies charged with ensuring peace and national stability. The portal www.tourism.gov.ng is a mega web sites for Nigerian tourism and whoever wants information about Nigeria.

“If tourists are not safe, if Nigeria is not stable, if chaos and crises are on, if national security is not guaranteed and we just allow our hoteliers to accommodate dissidents, spies and terrorists by our lack of co-ordination and proper implementation of tourism policy due to ethnic, state or personal consideration, how can we enhance, promote and turn tourism to the desired goldmine, NTDC will not stand akimbo and allow this to happen. National security first and all other thing shall follow. This is the code.”