Ekiti State parliamentary delegation visits South Africa

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Members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly are currently in Johannesburg, South Africa for a study tour as part of their capacity development programmes.

According to the leader of delegation, the Speaker of the house, Right Hon. Adeniran Alagbada, “We are pleased to have the opportunity to visit South Africa, a country where Nigeria has a strong bilateral relationship. Nigeria has a deep-rooted and broad-ranging partnership with the South Africa particularly in the areas of growing people-to-people ties, trade and investment, development and security cooperation.”

He said that it was in furtherance of this relationship that the Ekiti State House of Assembly signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Guateng Legislature during the first tenure of the Fayemi Administration in 2013.

Through this visit, the Ekiti State parliamentary delegation will gain a greater appreciation of the current political and economic issues facing South African, and gain a better understanding of South Africa’s relationship with Nigeria and areas that could benefit Ekiti State specifically in the area of tourism

Thuli Mhlungu, Managing Director, MUAU Organisation, the facilitator of the visit said, The MUAU Organisation was pleased to be facilitating this visit. She said the organisation had facilitated several high level visits of the Government of Ekiti State to South Africa which included a very successful Youth Exchange Programne where Youth Leaders from the 16 Local Government areas of Ekti State visited South Africa and held meaningful interactions with their peers in South Africa.

She said the theme of the visit was “The role of the parliament in strengthening the Ekiti State Tourism Industry”. Accordingly the visit would specifically focus on tourism including exploring possibilities, ideas and lessons learnt from South Africa’s multi billion dollar tourism industry.

She further said that on a broader note she hoped that the visit would reinforce the very good state of the bilateral relationship between Nigeria and South Africa and would also highlight to the delegation the excellent cooperation underway across the breadth of the relations between both countries.

On the issue of South Africa’s treatment of foreigners specifically Africans, she said the country had recently been subject of negative publicity across the continent. However, the Government of South Africa has been consistent in its condemnation of all forms of xenophobia. She said South Africa is as important to Africa as Africa is to South Africa.

While in South Africa, the Ekiti State Parliamentary delegation will visit several high income generating tourism places in the Gauteng Province, including the apartheid museum and the globally recognised cradle of mankind. The delegation will also meet with Ekiti State indigenes in South Africa.

The other members of the delegation include Deputy Speaker, Rt Hon. Omodara Olaposi, House Leader, Gboyega Aribisogan, Chief whip, Cecelia Dada.

Others include Hon Afolabi Akanni, Musa Arogubdade,Temitope Fasanmi, Fajana Ojoade,Badejo Anifowose,Omotoso Olayode, Rt Hon Dele Olugbemi, and Tola Esan, the Clerk of the House and delegation secretary.

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