July 07, (THEWILL) – Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Bayelsa State Council, Comrade Samuel Numonengi, has said that the coming on board of Mr Piriye Kiyaramo, as the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to Bayelsa State Governor on Tourism, has introduced immense changes in the state’s tourism ecology.
Comrade Numonengi, who made the remark shortly after the conferment of the “Man of Tourism Award” on Mr Piriye Kiyaramo by the President General of the League of Character Clubs Nigeria, Character, High Chief Christian Kokoriko, at the Ernest Ikoli Press Centre, Yenagoa, on Tuesday, noted that the award or Man of Tourism Award on the SSA on Tourism did not come to him as a surprise, judging from the untiring tourism promotion efforts of the recipient.
According to Comrade Numonengi, Mr Piriye Kiyaramo, popularly known and addressed as “Mr Tourism”, has been the brain behind the inauguration of the Travel Writers Corps of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in the State and that of the Ernest Ikoli Visitor Information Centre Management Committee, which he hinted also drew the attention of the President of the World Tourism Network, Chairman, International Coalition of Travel Partners, CMCO, African Tourism Board and publisher of the foremost global travel industry news platform, eTurbonews, Mr Juergen Thomas Steinmetz, in the United States of America.
He said tourism, which is highly dependant on media reportage, needs the support of the media for the fact that the vast majority of travel decisions are made by people who had never experienced the destinations being reported in the media, adding that the media plays a crucial role in bringing up emerging destinations like Bayelsa on the global travel map.
While conferring the “Man of Tourism Award” on the SSA on Tourism, the President General of the League of Character Clubs Nigeria, Character High Chief (Eld) Christian A.Y. Kokoriko (Tourist), said the League of Character Clubs Nigeria found Mr Kiyaramo worthy for the honour because of his outstanding performance and passion to the cause of tourism promotion in Nigeria, reiterating that: “when wealth is lost, nothing is lost, when health is lost, something is lost, but when Character is lost, everything is lost.”
Character High Chief Kokoriko stressed that what Nigeria needs now is good Character, adding that without Character, peace and holistic socio-economic development will be a far cry, just as he spoke well of Governor Douye Diri for his drive towards opening the state to the world for investments in the tourism and hospitality sector.
Responding, the recipient, Mr Piriye Kiyaramo said he was dedicating his award to the tourism enterprises in the state, pointing out that without the tourism enterprises, there would be no satisfactory touristic experience in the destination, saying that the needs of tourists were usually met by the tourism businesses in the destination.
He maintained that the Nembe-Brass road project, among several other ongoing link roads projects, being embarked upon by the prosperity administration were the necessary tourism infrastructures needed to boost domestic tourism in the state, pointing out that tourism remains the best poverty alleviation scheme all over the world.
On her part, the Acting Curator of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments in charge of the Oloibiri Oil and Gas Museum in Otuagbagi in Ogbia local government area of Bayelsa State, Mrs Adelani Rachael, described Mr Piriye Kiyaramo as a man of character, who respects everyone that comes across him, stating that from the first day she met him, he has not stopped promoting the cultural heritage of the people, including her office.
The General Superintendent of Kingdom Grace Mission, Oxbow Lake, Yenagoa, Apostle Timiebi Kiyaramo, expressed concern about the overwhelming moral decadence in society, saying that men and women of good character were becoming scarce, just as he urged the League of Character Clubs Nigeria to intensify the character moulding campaign to all nooks and crannies for the transformation of the society.
Also speaking, the State Coordinator of Kids in Tourism Nigeria, Dr Jenet Ekpefa Abdullahi, said the recipient has made so much impact on her, due to his passion and commitment to tourism promotion in the state and beyond, adding that the “Man of Tourism Award” conferred on him by the League of Character Clubs Nigeria was well deserved.
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