By Marlikberry,

THE National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) has described the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, as the true square peg in a square hole.

Speaking at the first quarter media briefing on the state of the travel trade/aviation sector, the National President of NANTA, Mrs Susan Akporiaye while reflecting on the COVID-19 palliative measures extended to the association, said the decision was the first one taken by the federal government in the history of NANTA that the government will openly identify with “our pains, dreams and aspirations, so we must be circumspect in our attitude to this issue,”

Akporiaye who said her tenure would be one year soon, declared: “We wish to disappoint them as we are absolutely sure that we shall come out of it better and stronger together. “You will not be wrong to say that this can be considered as part of my scorecard since providence gave me and my executive to serve this great association in this era of uncertainty.

The NANTA president who described the CORONAVIRUS pandemic negative impact on Nigeria as the road to Gethsemane, said the experience of the pandemic to the association was brutish, unexpected and fearful.

Her words: “It would not be out of place to say, that the pandemic challenged the very legacy of a United NANTA with our members not sure of what to expect. Our principals bled and where the next meal and business would cone from, was nightmarish”

Akporiaye used the occasion to state that her team was working round the clock to provide more services and opportunities for our members, particularly in reaching out to our various stakeholders to provide windows of opportunities and support to NANTA members at this critical times.

She appealed to the members of the association to be patient and not cut corners to remain above the waters  at this critical period even as she hinted of an instruction to the training committee to come up with “training modules beneficial to our members as we take bold steps to engage alternate openings which can help us provide better services to Nigerian passengers and our stakeholders.