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The General Manager of Enugu State Tourism Board, Chief Steve Odo, has called on Federal and state governments to synergise with hospitality and tourism practitioners to improve national security.
Odo spoke to newsmen on Thursday in Enugu after launching his book: “The Principles and Practice of Hospitality and Tourism Management”.
The tourism boss, who made reference from Chapter 17 of the book, which is themed: “The Role of Hospitality in National security”, said that harnessing the goodwill of those that work in hospitality and tourism sub-sectors would provide the needed intelligence to nib crime in the bud nationally.
He noted that most crimes are hatched and discussed about in hotels, bars, eateries, club-houses and other relaxed public places, adding that evil people and public misfits spend about 50 per cent of their lives outside their homes.
According to him, government and the security agencies should find ways to buy through and engage those that work in hospitality and tourism sub-sectors through engaging them as unofficial spies and elicit investigatible information from them.
The tourism boss said: “Government through its security agencies should synergise with all hospitality establishments for the purpose of enhancing national security. They have important roles to play if well organised.
“This can be by way of short training programmes, seminars, public enlightenment etc. All security agencies should also work in liaison to do the same.”
He said that there was a need to fully integrate hospitality and tourism businesses into national security framework and infrastructure in order to monitor what fully goes on in the sub-sector.
Odo noted that every hospitality or tourism service seekers, even those that want to perpetrate heinous crimes, have a need for transport; food, accommodation as well as at times pleasure (night clubbing).
“In the course of obtaining these services, the hospitality and tourism seekers interact with the local workers and at times these local workers get some information about them that might be worked upon by security agencies
“The country can do well using this model to check all forms of known security threats and emerging security threat as well,” he said.
The tourism boss noted that this modality had been adopted by Enugu State Government and “it is working out in the state”.
“Today, we have nigh life and hospitality businesses booming in Enugu State courtesy of the huge invest of Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi in security and peace.
“We also have healthy government synergy with hospitality and tourism businesses and workers for the security and betterment of all,” he said.