Newly appointed Director General, Nigeria Tourism Development Commission (NTDC), Mr Folorunso Folarin Coker, is reported by Sahara Reporters, an online medium to be allegedly involved in the Panama papers saga.
According to Sahara Reporters, Mr. Coker was presumably hired by Buhari to appease All Progressives Congress party “National Leader”, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
It said: “Last year Panama papers revealed Mr. Coker as a secret owner of a luxury real estate worth £1.65m in Kensington and Chelsea area of London. Mr. Coker concealed the ownership of the property by using an offshore shell company. Shortly after the revelation, the Lagos State government last year relieved Mr. Coker of his commissionership appointment.”
Coker’s name surprising appeared as new DG of NTDC to stakeholders in the industry, after 4 previous appointments made by the Federal Government in four months.
Before the appointment of Coker, four other DGs had earlier been appointed in acting capacity and suprising removed immediately. A slew of 5 DGs in 4 months has set tongues wagging in Nigeria.
According to atqnews.com, Mr. Adalikwu took over the helms following the removal of Mrs. Mariel Rae-Omoh as the Acting Director General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC).
This step came as a shock to both tourism stakeholders and travel and tourism experts who demanded the appointment of an industry Stakeholder to salvage the collapsing industry.
Mr. Boniface Ebuka was first appointed into the position following the sack of the former DG, Mrs. Sally Uwechue – Mbanefo by the federal government. Then Rae-Omoh and now Mr. Paul Adalikwu.
This appointment confirms the rumours among stakeholders that the Minister has favoured Adalikwu to be the Substantive DG. Dr. Adalikwu has been embroiled in controversy with the Tourism Intervention fund called the Sure P funds under President Jonathan.
The alleged abuse of huge sums of money led the former Minister Edem Duke to get him removed as Sure P officer and sent to Ministry of Labour.
NTDC DG has become some sort of banana peel since Otunba Runsewe was removed since 2012.
Sally Mbanefo was appointed and removed before completing her tenure. Boniface Ebuka was appointed and removed after 2 months and replaced by Rae Omoh in controversial circumstances.
27th November 2016 saw the sack of the former Director General of the Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Mrs. Sally Mbanefo.
In her place, a supposedly Most senior Director Eboka was appointed. Later he was dropped because it was said he was not the most senior Director. Mariel Rae Omoh was appointed and soon fell into controversy over her appointment as a Director. It was alleged that she was erroneously promoted based on certificate issues.
