Matthew Olusegun Runsewe, Director General National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), is an uncommon Nigerian gifted with unexplainable passion to serve Nigeria tourism in an uncommon way.
Unassuming, detribalized and unputdownable, he has created a refreshing organisational order to a sector blemished by despair and red tape inoculation.
Like his Biblical namesake, Otunba Matthew Segun Runsewe is a cultural tourism gospel promoter, a tested war General for the industry and proudly Nigerian.
He believes that a nation and people without Cultural history are dead and cannot sit among the community of nations. From Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), where he turned a dump site in Abuja to a glorious show piece for tourism economy, and now to the apex government Culture and Arts domain, this kaduna born but Egba, Ogun state son of the soil, have proved beyond doubt that all he touches must be transformed into gold. No pretence, no grandstanding, just pure hard work!
In the past two weeks, his verifiable achievements across our Cultural tourism frontiers, have hugged the Nigerian media space. It was not his making for he desires that his love for country and people must be done differently but who can ignore the strides and passion to which he brought to bear, standing in gap in the quest to fault age long negative narratives about Nigeria and the poor interpretations and unappreciated Cultural tourism history.
Indeed, from the Commonwealth Heads of government meeting hosted by Nigeria in 2013 and front lines repositioning of Abuja Carnival, a coalition of national Cultural festivals, Runsewe peacocked Nigeria as a global destination to watch and there's no doubt, it is for a reason.
He is unapologetically arrogant in showcasing Nigeria as the pride and champion of the black race. He was at the behest of the first ever Nigerian Cultural evangelism to Russia at 2018 world cup, same in south Africa in 2010, and carefully brought the world to Nigeria through Sports. To Mrs Bianca Ojukwu, Runsewe has and reflects the traits of the Igbo strong leader " Dike ana agbaluizu," a fearless warrior promoter of Nigerian Cultural tourism engagements, whose feats and achievements are discussed in awe and envyness by peers.
No doubt, Runsewe is priceless, connecting culture to Sports, diplomacy, traditional, cuisines, arts and moral regeneration, calling out Nigerian Cultural deviants to public ridicule and shame.
To the organised tourism practitioners community, Runsewe is not only a colossus, he is the statement, a touch bearer, the pride and hope for a better and progressive Nigerian tourism for tomorrow.
At the first Nigeria Tourism icon Brand Award, instituted by Nkerewuem Onung led Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), Runsewe got an artistic impression of himself, a bust Statue, crafted to show gratitude to the living memory of the tourism enigma of our time. A week earlier, he broke through international frontiers, and the Chinese Community and consulate in Nigeria noised and announced him as the Chinese tourism man of the year, for the championing cultural tourism relationship between Nigeria and china.
His ftan diadem is reflective of the benefit of his uncommon dedication to course of tourism and culture in Nigeria. It is historic, distinct and uncontroversial.
Rauf ladipo, Bisi olatilo Nike Okundayo, Gani Tarzan Balogun, Nigerians big and small, practitioners known and unknown, Lagos government tourism first eleven team, joined ftan leadership and Trustees to appreciate and honour a man who staked all to put Nigeria tourism economy at the frontage of national development.
Samuel Alabi, ftan chairman, Board of Trustees, disclosed that with Runsewe, ftan and the industry will get back the industry lost glory, adding that Runsewe will remain the hope for Nigeria tourism administration for a long time to come. We are proud here to associate with Runsewe and pray for grace and mercy of God for him to continue on this progressive pattern. This ftan Nigeria Tourism icon Brand Award has insured his achievements for life and we are witness!.
No comments:
Post a Comment