Category: Travels on Saturday

The wife of the Deputy Senate President, Mrs. Nwaneka Ekwerenmadu, has called on ministries, departments, agencies, corporate bodies and individuals to help the nation by providing for the needy and the poor while urging the latter not to see such gestures as national cake.

Speaking at the presentation of working tools to 50 widows at the Tourism Village, Abuja, Mrs. Ekwerenmadu said the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) has shown courage by extending hands of compassion to the needy.

The occasion which was part of activities to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of NTDC and this year’s World Tourism Day which has as its theme, “Tourism and Sustainable Energy: Powering Sustainable Development”.

Ekwerenmadu also urged the recipients to see the working tools as a great gift for them to work and earn a living and not as the distribution of national cake.

Speaking further, she lauded the NTDC Director-General, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe for the courageous move, saying it was not easy to give. Her words: “By doing little things, we arrive at doing great things.”

She also used the opportunityto appeal to other MDAs, corporate bodies, private organizations and philanthropists to emulate the NTDC gesture, while advising the beneficiaries to use the items judiciously.

The items distributed to the widows who cut across the 36 states of the federation included sewing machines, grinding machines and a token sum of money, which the Director-General of NTDC described as seed money for them to start small scale businesses.

In his remarks, the NTDC boss thanked the wife of the Deputy Senate President and other eminent dignitaries for gracing the occasion, describing her as a woman who loves to care for children and the needy.

He said the modest effort was to commemorate the corporation’s 50th anniversary by empowering 50 widows as a way of showing love to the mothers. He implored all to take a cue by contributing their quota to improving the society.

Earlier in the day, the NTDC also presented other items like refrigerators, chairs, umbrellas, amongst others to the National Car Hire Operators at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja as part of activities marking the day.

The corporation, alongside the Federal Road Safety Corps is also set to commence training of the airport cab drivers as the first point of contact to enable them relate better to visitors and tourists visiting Nigeria so as to create a positive first impression.

The source of River Ethiope, in Umuaja, Ukwuani Council Area of Delta State is one of the tourism offerings of the state. It is a place rich in indigenous culture, eco-tourism and history. Okorie Uguru, as a member of the Naija Seven Wonders expedition trip to the state, was there.
He captures the setting and mystic air around these tiny sprouts of rivulets from the roots of a giant tree that expanded to become a big river (Ethiope).

There is something surreal about this place that may likely leave one with goose pimples. There is a maze of huge tree roots from an equally huge tree trunk zig-zagging through the grove like thousands of snakes sprouting from the head of Gorgon Medusa of the Greek mythologyas normal. Except if one considers as normal, white and red pieces of plain clothes used to tie round one huge silk tree and other smaller ones as normal, there is so much to ponder about River Ethiope. Also, a couple of candle sticks burn in different parts of the grove. There is a small enclosure with a sculpted bust of a man and a smaller bust of a female beside him, all ‘wearing light blue clothes’ with a huge red object.

The surrounding alone, without the appurtenance of African religious worship and sacrifice to a particular deity, Onoku, attracts its own air of mystery.

From the foot of the huge silk tree and other smaller ones, tiny sprout of crystal clean water flow out. From this tiny sprout of clean water, a little pond is formed all within the grove. The water is sparkling clean. Even the huge foliage kind of shy away from muddying the water with dead leaves. This is the source of River Ehiope, a unique river reputed to be the deepest inland waterway in Africa. The claim of Umuaja pond to being tourists site is not just about the eco-tourism and cultural setting of the place. It is the source of one major river in Delta State that has been part of the history of the area.

Before the experience of visiting the source of River Ethiope, one had a opportunity of promenading to the bank of Ethiope River while staying at the Abraka Turf Club. At Abraka, the river is wide and still maintains its sparkling purity, despite the long distance between the town and the source of the river.

The river is important to a large number of people in Delta State. It is a source of portable water and also for other domestic uses. The leisure activities around the water have brought joy and satisfaction to so many indigenes and visitors to the area.

But it does not stop there, Ethiope River from the Umuaja spring was a very important river during the colonial era and it served as a route for the movement of goods from the hinterland to the coast. It is to show the importance of this river that the British colonialists put it under their protection in 1894, as a means of stopping the activities of Nana of Itsekiri.

The colonialists made a proclamation aimed at making sure King Nana did not use the river to gain advantage over those in hinterland in their trade with the Europeans: “Whereas a state of terrorism has been established in the Benin, Sapele and Warri districts by parading of war canoes on public waterways, and many other of the natives are thereby prevented from pursuing in peace and security their ordinary vocations in life.

“Be it therefore known to all whom it may concern that it is hereby strictly prohibited for any war canoe to appear on any of the rivers, creeks or waterways of the districts above mentioned without sanction of the consular officer in charge of the district.”

On getting to Umuaja in Ukwuani Council Area of Delta State, one does not just walk round the source, permission has to be obtained from the keeper of the river, ‘the River King’. He has a small structure by the river. The tour guide who is from the town goes to him and pays homage. It is after that the to go ahead is given for a tour of the site and pictures taken.

According to some indigenes of the town, people come from wide and near to the river to find solutions to their problem.

The source of River Ethiope does not just attract tourists but suppliants who believe the river is endowed with mythical powers to solve their problems.

The trip to the river is part of the expedition trip by the Naija Seven Wonders’ crew to Delta State. Having visited the source at Umuaja, the crew undertake a relatively long trip to Abraka to visit another tourism offering only to get there and still meet the river in full flow.

Enegele Charles, from Okwuani, is an indigene of the area. He speaks about Umuaja and the source of River Ethiope: “The source of River Ethiope was discovered by one Ugbo. Ugbo was a hunter who left the hinterland. On his hunting trip, he got to this place and saw this river. He shouted and said he would want to come and settle down here. He went back to the hinterland, Akoku, and then returned and settled down in Umuaja. That was how the settlement in Umuaja began. He started the foundation of Umuaja because of the river he saw here.

“So, over times, people come to do certain things close to the river bank. You see so many things like lions, tiger and others. Most times, the river brings blessings. For instance, when the farmers go to farm, they have rich harvest. They say the river is a blessing to them. Most times, stories have it that whatever you wish for yourself, good health, business, child birth and so on, come to pass. People come here to pray and seek for the things they pray for. People also come here to worship Onoku. That is why it is called sacred river.

“This is the source of the huge River Ethiope. This river runs through seven local government areas, meandering through Sapele and Koko and then meet with tributary rivers before emptying into the ocean. As you see it coming out, it widens as it flows on. This river goes straight to Obiaruku and Abraka.”

For visitors to the place, there are no big hotels in the area, but there are good accommodation facilities in Asaba and other nearby towns. To get to Umuaja, one could do so through the more popular Agbor town, taking a cab to Umuaja which is about 60 to 70 kilometers from Agbor, through the Abraka road.

It is an experience and a taste of African mystery. It is worth visiting.

 TheUniversity College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Oyo State, established on November 20, 1957,  is reputed for recording many firsts. OYEYEMI GBENGA-MUSTAPHA toured the premier hospital’s Medical Museum, first of its kind in Nigeria and relates her experience.

Museums and galleries are not mere showrooms of antiquated objects. They are living embodiments of cultural and national heritage. The artefacts of history remind one of how a people, society or institution got to where they are now. They capture the evolution of a people. From the simple tools and paintings of prehistory to the dated machinery of the industrial revolution, museums show people the path of human life through the ages by providing actual examples of how we used to live.

People from all walks of life throng the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan on a daily basis for various health reasons. But according to The Nation’s findings, some visits may not be due to health challenges any more. UCH, as it is called by residents of Ibadan and beyond, has become associated with many other activities, including tourism.

As the nation’s premier teaching hospital, the Medical Museum seeks to tell not just the medical history of Nigeria, it offers tourists, especially the youth, the opportunity to go back in time. From the artefacts on display, one could appreciate the giant strides so far made by the medical profession in Nigeria.

The Medical Museum is located within the UCH complex, on the fifth floor of the building that houses the office of the Chief Medical Director of the hospital. Visitors, for now, could only visit the museum on working days, as it is not opened on weekends or public holidays.

To gain access to the museum, a visitor has to first register with the information unit of the hospital. There, a guide will be given to the visitor to take him or her round the museum. The museum is open to individuals and groups.

As with most museums, the items on display are only a small part of the total collection. The floor that houses the Medical Museum is stacked with show glasses with articles of different shades–the replica of the UCH building that houses the admin block, consulting rooms, offices, stethoscopes, surgical saws and even medicine chests which unlock to reveal rows of neatly labelled bottles containing the original compounds. Other fascinating artefacts include medical records displayed in glass desks.

The Medical Museum boasts of bed pans, diagnostic equipments, statues of a doctor, nurse, attendant/registrar all attending to an expectant mother.

A recording of the conversation between the pacts was played. It was enthralling.

Portraits of past chief medical directors, administrators and so on lined the walls of the museum. There are also the statues of the father of modern medicine, Hippocrates of Cos; Dr John Randle; Dr Oguntola Odunbaku Sapara who went about treating his patients in the wards in his traditional garb (agbada); Dr Obadiah Johnson; Dr Osadipe Obada and Dr James Africanus Beale Horton, all standing imposingly in the museum.

According to the widely travelled Chief Medical Director (CMD), Prof Temitope Alonge, his administration’s decision to establish the museum was hinged on the fact that “one of the most important ways museums and galleries can stimulate you is through inspiration. They awaken both your natural thirst for knowledge and your creativity. They help unlock your hidden potential through their exhibits.

“At 55, I simply collate the medical artefacts so as to inspire visitors to actually broaden their world and mind. A simple collation of these artefacts can prove to be a valuable part of personal growth, especially for students, scholars and intellectuals.

“While historic models are used as the basis of our training, this Medical Museum is geared to those who may have little or no knowledge or interest in history. It is the collection of stories of human achievements, medical and managerial advancements, and inspired leadership that transcend the 55 years of UCH history and remain relevant and powerful till today.

“For instance, the interactive discussions allow us to bring all and sundry to a high degree of relevance to their daily tasks and duties.

The artefacts in the Medical Museum were put in place with funds, donations and bequests from friends of the institute. The museum has no budget for buying items, but, according to the Chief Medical Director, who is also a product of the college, the collection is nonetheless extensive. “The museum is unique in Nigeria, especially in statues and diagnostic equipment. We have a lot of medical artefacts,” Alonge said.

Etihad Airways President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), James Hogan, recently visited Boeing’s Everett production facility, as the UAE flag carrier prepares to take delivery of more 777s and awaits the arrival of the 787 Dreamliner.

Mr Hogan is leading a senior delegation of Etihad Airways and Airberlin executives on a one-day visit. Etihad Airways owns almost 30 per cent of Airberlin, Europe’s sixth largest airline.

In March, the two carriers announced plans to strengthen their partnership by integrating their respective Boeing 787 Dreamliner programmes.

Inspecting the 777 and Dreamliner assembly lines, Mr Hogan said: “It is exciting to see these aircraft take shape and we look forward to taking delivery of nine more 777s over the next 15 months.

“For both carriers, the Dreamliner’s arrival will be a positive milestone for two strategically aligned partners who are looking to successfully work with Boeing on our integrated fleet programme.

“Already we are sharing infrastructure, streamlining our purchasing activity for engines, rotables, avionics and in-flight entertainment systems and are also hard at work on common onboard product specifications for our respective brands which will give passengers a consistent product experience,”Mr Hogann said.

Last December, Etihad Airways announced it was taking its total order book for the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner to 41, the first of which arrives in the last quarter of 2014. The order, valued at US $9.3 billion, will make Etihad Airways the largest operator of the aircraft type in the world. The UAE flag carrier has options and purchase rights for an additional 25 aircraft.

Etihad Airways has already taken delivery of three Boeing 777-300ER passenger aircraft in 2012, including the airline’s first three-class aircraft type. The airline’s current fleet of Boeing aircraft includes: 11 Boeing 777-300ER, one Boeing 777-200 freighter and one Boeing 747-400 freighter (wet leased).

Nigeria’s tourism endowments are like a rich art work on canvass with bright esoteric strokes, and each stroke tells a story. In trying to deconstruct the mind of the artist and interpret the work, the connoisseur must go on a soul- searching journey, a journey that captures every facet of his life.

That is the story of tourism in Nigeria. That is the story recently captured by the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) through a compendium, Nigeria: Tourism is Life.

In this compendium, Nigerian tourism endowments were brought to the fore for both local and foreign tourists in vivid colours, and it leaves one absolutely stunned and giddy by the plethora of tourism assets in country.

One important thing is that there is no particular part of the country that has the monopoly of endowments.

Many tourists desirous of visiting a destination tries as much as possible to get all the information they need to get baout that particular destination before embarking on a trip. This helps a tourist prepare in terms of weather, culture and other things that would make the trip an enjoyable expererience. Unfortunately in the past, Nigeria lacked such a compedium that could be a source of information for a potential tourist.

This is captured in Nigeria: Tourism is Life. The landmass, vegetation and people are all captured in the beginning of the book. The policial history of Nigeria is well articulated in the book.

Another vacuum which Nigeria: Tourism is Life will also fill is the desire of local tourists to get to know about destinations that they want to visit.

It is a known fact top tourist destinations in Africa like South Africa, Ghana and The Gambia depend so much on the tourism traffic from Nigeria to actually balance their tourism book. For example, if Nigerians refused to go South Africa for a year, that country’s inbound tourism arrivals would be down by close to 30 per cent. The same applies to Ghana and, to a lesser extent, The Gambia. But the local travel in Nigeria is abysmal. This has been attributed to lack of knowledge about the sites and the tourism endowments in the country.

The NTDC compendium has solved the problem. The sites have been captured so vivdly and in an attractive page layout and colours that lure any person desirous of leisure or simple adventure to hit the road.

This is part of the core NTDC mandate to develop and market Nigeria’s tourist sites and destinations.

However, this has also brought to the fore the poor state of the infrastructural facilities like roads to the sites and the development within these sites for them to attract tourists. It is only Cross River with its huge investments in tourism that has really put their money where their mouths are.Maybe one can add Ekiti State in the light of Governor Kayode Fayemi’s efforts in Ikogosi. The NTDC has done its own part in articulating and properly documeting these sites. Other tiers of government should also do their own part.

The tourism endowments are divided into eleven groups. One could broadly group these into natural or eco-tourist and man-made endowments. The eco-tourist endowments include rock formations, lakes, waterfall and springs, while the man-made endowments include monuments, dams, palaces, festivals, cities, holiday resorts and many others.

Monuments: the monuments include the Nok terra cotta figurine from Kaduna State, one of the well known cultures of black Africa having been around for over 2,500 years. The intriguing Sungbo Eredo earthwork in Epe, Lagos State. The moat in the league of the Benin moat served as defence between 800-1000AD. Other works under the monument include the ancient Sukur village in Adamawa.

Rocks and hills in Nigeria come in different forms and shapes, but they always add allure to any place the hills are located. They are most in the middle belt areas with a few exceptions like the Olumo Rock and Idanre Hills. Rock formations such as Agbele, Olosunta, Zuma, Pulka, Gembu hills, Kilang hills and many others.

Nigeria is blessed with exotic waterfalls. With Tourism is Life book, a tourist has vivid capturing in picture of these waterfalls and could go on adventure to some of them. Top among them are Olumirin Waterfall in Erin Ijesa, Owu Waterfall in Kwara State, Farin Ruwa, Gurara, Awhum and many others. They are places that seeing them triggers the desire for adventure.

The NTDC boss, Otunba Runsewe, speaking on the compendium in his forward said: “With an area of about 923,768,64 square kilometres stretchiang from the Atlantic Coast and the rainforest in the South through the savannah to the semi-arid region in the north, Nigeria is magnificently endowed by nature.

“The diverse eco-system, manifesting in varying climactic zones, network of rivers, lakes, beautiful beaches , awesome caves, warm and cold springs and waterfalls all add to the geographical landmass called Nigeria.

“A nation with over 250 ethnic groups, Nigeria is the most plural and most culturally diverse nation in black Africa. Its rich cultural heritage is expressed in its fascinating festivals rendered in songs, dance, drama, acrobatic display, poems, epigrams, incantations, costumes , riveting arts and craft products.

“The beauty of her natural environment, richness of her culture and diversity of her people readily make Nigeria a foremost tourist destination in Africa.

“One of the biggest problems of marketing Nigeria as a destination in past had been the lack of promotional materials at major international tourism exhibitions and fairs. Recently, a Japanese travel agent came to Nigeria with some tourists. One of the her complaints was that there was no promotional materials for them to know about eco-tourism sites and festivals in the country.

“While the new work would greatly help in the promotional materials for country, it is also important the embassies and other foreign outlets that have one or two things to do with the Nigerian image should have copies of this book.

“Outside this, the book should be in soft copies and posted on the net.”