By: Frank Meke
The
news about the death of Mrs. Fati Garbati was devastating yet profoundly
instructive in a lot of ways. Indeed, the death of anyone or that of anyone
close to me processes the realities of certain hubris of mankind, the dreams,
the fights and wars, fear, pride, ego, riches poverty, achievements as lack of
it and above all the power of God to recall man or woman to himself.
Garbati
while she lived cuts the mother figure image and goes about her business in
such a way not just to survive but to win souls to her tourism dreams and
expectations. Ile Ife, the soul of Yoruba culture and history presented Garbati
the rare opportunity and privilege to say goodbye to an industry she labored in
humility and great sacrifice to nurture, contribute and collaborate to flourish.
Did I say flourish?
I
recall that Friday night, just some weeks ago, she had ‘displaced” my security
detail and sat quietly in the front seat of the car allocated for my trip to
Ife. It was barely some minute past Seven O’clock in the evening and we were
headed out of the majestic Grand Ife Resort to a dinner date. Otunba Segun
Runsewe, the Director-General of National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC)
led the team. I recalled to had told the DG that am not too comfortable with
dinner arrangements earlier made for us and would prefer an exploratory
encounter outside the resort and to which he reassured that my suggestion would
be a fall back plan if indeed the earlier arrangement failed.
In
stark and sober reflection of the events leading to this last supper with
Garbati, her choice of riding in my car to the venue and the long dinner table
at the Quantum Restaurant, Bar and lodge located at old life toll gate were all
divine arrangement to give us a platform to share some glorious last moments
with this great tourism amazon of our time.
Sadly,
while I rode with Wale Olapade of Nigerian Tribune and John Omololu of
Travelscope and ANJET super Secretary General to the venue with her sitting in
front of the vehicle, we could not strike any meaningful conversation, even
though she muttered some words which I also could not contribute or escalate.
It
was a dark night, wet and gloom even though we were headed to a supposed dinner
date. At the venue, Otunba Segun Runsewe made a way for Garbati, respectfully
led and served her himself. This gesture is not new with Runsewe who is always
a perfect host to any event or programme which he organized. However, this
night was different as he led Garbati like a queen to the dinner table.
Where
I stood behind Runsewe and Garbati, there was a deep reflection of the night
and not minding the process of thought on the industry, our failings, weakness,
strength, the fights and wars, yet here we were, same table, same roof, sharing
food and water with minds far, very far from each other.
Having
captured the sociology of the dinner table and the reality of Garbati’s last
moments with us at Ife, I knew she came to say Goodbye. She came to share her
fears and dreams, to offer hope and provide shoulder for us to lean on and
showcase her national identity and not clannish and pedestrian testimony of her
strides on the sand of our tourism evolution.
Though
I did not regret staying far away from the dinner table that night, I however
regret not making efforts to see Garbati who had sought my attention through
Emeke Anokwuru, a tourism journalist and a close confidant of this elegant
lady. Oh yes, I was burdened by the many lies and too much egostic wars in the
sector which that night denied me the pleasure of reconnecting with Garbati.
She
is gone no doubt and may her soul rest in peace yet there is this pain in my
heart about that missed opportunity to see her when you asked and requested my
presence. Maybe she needed me to pray for her, maybe she wanted to share some
fears of the industry, her baby NATOP or maybe to encourage or rebuke my absence
at that dinner table, that last supper to which unknown to many of us present,
was a goodnight, farewell outing for the beautiful, dramatic, ever smiling and
tough touch bearer of an industry abused and left to ruin and flatter without
help from government.
Flash back: Moments with Garbati
Sao
Tome and Principe: Garbati convinced Captain Nolle who went huge in domestic
and chartered airline business to try out Sao Tome, oil rich and ocean island
state off the golf of Nigeria. Garbati listed me as delegate but my passport
needed renewal, so I told her to proceed without me. No way Garbati screamed
and sent me off to a contact in Festac Immigration Office. Protocol broken all over
and in less than four hours, replacement was ready but not until I was made to
see the “Oga Kpatakpata” who told me he was ardent reader of my tourism column
in the Vanguard Newspapers.
At
Ikeja airport, the aircraft was ready to depart as I waggled through terrible
traffic to meet up others at the airport. Garbati was ready to delay that
aircraft because of me and she did!! She told me to call her on arrival as she
would hide in the toilet and there is no way the aircraft will leave without
her, all in loving kindness to have me on board.
When
she became aware am at the check in counter which she kept open, she appeared
from nowhere, collected my passport and gently pushed me through immigration
like her son and into the aircraft apologizing and smiling to douse irritations
of the exploratory team to Sao Tome. Garbati held that aircraft for me, a
gesture to which I would never, never forget. She loves deeply if you win her
trust and confidence.
FTAN Politics: Garbati
was deep in mentoring, expression and show of care, hence was able to grow a
community of apostles and followers. She likes people with deep thought and
tells it as it is when confronted with decisions to do so. Garbati attempted
federation of FTAN presidency not because she is ambitious but because some of
us believed she could turn around the national tourism body. Goodie Ibru as
first FTAN President failed us; ditto Munzali, Dantata, so the “progressives”
needed a face, someone tough, a go getter and Fati Garbati fits the bill. She
was not a hard sell for me and due to the collective, nationalistic flavor in
discharge of some of her projects and events on tourism; we felt she would make
a difference.
For
my deep understanding and long stay in the sector, I was privileged to be chosen
by the FTAN collective to chair the electoral committee. Garbati was a
candidate and from all available information and selfless mobilization by team
progressives, Garbati was a clear winner. Sadly Munzali Dantata struck with
certain documents and unproven allegations against Garbati, I saw our woman
going down, not just over mere disqualification but over a well-crafted agenda
to ruin her reputation.
I
grabbed and exercised the full powers of my chairmanship of the electoral committee,
turned the table against Dantata who wanted to impose his candidate on FTAN and
got Late Pa Matts Ebaboje Da’silva as FTAN Trustee boss to call for a behind
the scene settlement of the log-jam. I knew many people hated me for that
intervention and of course, Dantata who is my friend cried foul and we parted
ways thereafter, to settle our differences years later in faraway Spain. Long
story for another day.
I
stood behind Garbati, returned her trust and love and protected her image battered
on mere account of sacrificing her future for the sake of tourism. Garbati, as
a strong character, picked up from there, went to NCAA and followed me to
Christ.
Christ?
Yes! She did, though she did not become a Christian but her world view revolved
around God and the supremacy of his power. She encountered the Mercy of God and
I recall today the many secrets we shared and to which God alone is the
ultimate decider of our fate.
As
you read this piece on Garbati, do you fear God? Good for you if you do, even
then the demons fear and tremble!. As a friend and a confidant, I could not
tell all about Garbati here but she does made impact around the sector and
among many that came her way. Like all human, she had her failings yet what
counts for those of us still living, is to leave a legacy that will impact in
the life of others.
Garbati
is a national tourism figure, never clannish or boastful, did her bit in
humility and sense of responsibility, so she must enjoy the testimony of
history as a planter and nourisher of hope. Sadly, the team tourism progressive
is broken asunder on account of fear, cut throat competition, gossip and
unbridled ambition.
Will
the death of Garbati rekindle the dead spirit of progressive tourism politics?
We watch and pray. Goodnight my dear mother tourism, my friend. We shall hold
forth!!.