BY: VITALIS UGOH, Calabar
The WASH Media Network in conjunction with other stakeholders in the tourism sector in Cross River state celebrated this year’s World Tourism Day with a call for everybody to imbibe the culture of washing our hands at every interval we make a contact.
The Coordinator of the network in the state, MS. Florence Olouhu, made the call in Calabar while speaking at the occasion which held at Hit FM conference hall, Calabar.
“Hand washing, she said, must continue even after Covid-19 is gone. It is for our own good and safety”.
According to her, “safety is very important in the transport sector. When you talk about the safety of the tourist or the taxi drivers. there must be somebody to communicate it to every stakeholder in the system and that is the WASH Media network steps in”.
She wondered if the business of hygiene is going to extinction. Are we failing our generation and our children? Are we letting things go the wrong way. Are still we there for them to learn. We have forgotten the rules we inherited from our parents and have forgotten to ask them to wash their hands”.
She said moving from one city to another to stay for three years does not make one a tourist except within a space of one year visiting the tourists sites or coming to stay not more than one year for the purpose of leisure, or businesses.
She described transportation as the movement of people, animals from one location to another and therefore cannot function alone. The tourists moves with the aid of the transport sector in tourism.
Safety, she said, “is a personal responsibility. I can’t work your safety for you except we agree to collaborate “.
She called for safety measures to be imbided into our day to day tourism activities especially in the area of hygiene.
“WASH “is Water Sanitation and Hygiene . It is a daily affair. It is a challenge. Every facets of life takes Wash into consideration. There is nobody that wakes up every day without using water for purpose or another”.If your environment is not clean you cannot be health. We cannot therefore rule hygiene out of tourism.
.Today is a big day for Wash media network in Cross River state as it is the first outing after inauguration few weeks ago. We have planned, prayed and prepared for today. As a child we are still turtling but we shall get there, she added”.
“We are open for corrections. Our doors are open for criticisms and we promise we shall not let you down.. Very soon we shall get there and get things done the right way. When we begin to count our gains, definitely we will remember each an every one who has made this day great Thank for being part of Wash and World Tourism Day in Cross River state”.
In her goodwill message, the chairperson of Tourism Writers Association, Cross River state chapter, MS. Florence Kekong, welcomed WASH Media Network to the state. This is a very relevant arm as far as tourism is concerned.
She therefore promised to work with the network on issues that borders on tourism.
“Before now, people were reluctant on the issues of hygiene and washing of hands, but thank God the pandemic has caused people to go back to the old good days when personal hygiene was very important in our society, she said”.
Members and stakeholders in a group photograph h
Kekong said “we cannot talk about tourism without the Wash programme. For instance, Cross River state is noted to be the cleanest city in the whole country. This resulted to alot of tourists and and businessmen and women coming into the state. We need to introduce Wash into our tourism because if visitors or tourists come and notice that we are conscious of our hygiene it will be an added advantage to the state.”.
“Actually, todays theme is Tourism and Rural Development but Wash has thought it wise to speak on a sub theme called “Tourism and Safe Transportation “Both themes are still in other so long as it is related to tourism”.
Tourism Writers Association and Wash media network shall henceforth compliment each other as our own support to what the state government is doing in tourism sector.
She sued for the need to encourage the rural people to showcase their culture and traditions. There is need to improve upon the transport system in the rural area. Take development to them, create awareness and get government to develop such tourists sites in the rural communities.
Government on its part , she said, should do the needful by fixing the roads, electricity, water etc so that those in tourism business will stand strong like the hospitality industries and the transport unions.
She commended the organisers for including safe transportation into tourism in Cross River state and promised to partner with the transport sector in the state to bring the needed improvement in this sector.
Also speaking, a driver Mr. Ogar Francis ,said you cannot separate tourism from transportation business. We do not treat the issue of safety with levity in my union. We observe every safety measures and guidelines on daily basis.
“We have religiously being observing all the guidelines given by the Covid-19 team and we make sure our passengers comply according to the rules,je added”.
Earlier, the state Chairman of Unified Drivers Union. Pastor Thomas Effiom, lauded the leadership of Wash media network for inviting them to participate in the celebration of the World Tourism Day.
“As a union we are ready to synergize and collaborate with the network to compliment government efforts in the tourism sector. Transport sector is the nerve of any economy of a nation and therefore, its importance cannot be over emphasised”.
He regretted that the guidelines for the Covid-19 are very expensive for the drivers to meet given the economic realities on ground.
“It is not favourable to the transport sector. Government has increased fuel pump more three times this year, the roads are bad. Where should we drive our cabs. It has affected our business very seriously. It might surprise you that we are still carrying passengers at 50 Naira. We are the only patriotic Nigerians still living”.
However, “we are ready to partner with Wash media Network whenever you call on us to do so.”
