By Cliffsimon Akalonu
The National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), has denied membership of the alleged travel agent paraded by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission ( EFCC), saying that She is not a member of Nanta and should not be addressed as a travel agent.
Mrs Susan Akporiaye, President, National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), who clarified the position of the umbrella body of travel trade operators in Nigeria, gave account on the status of kaduna based agency, noting that all verifiable information at the disposal of the association, shows that the purported travel agent, has no relationship with the association and therefore, should not be so addressed.
Speaking at the sidelines of the official opening of Travel Hub, a collaborative and one bus stop facilities outfit geared towards providing operational environment for upcoming and registered operators who may not afford the high cost of office space, Mrs Akporiaye, stated that NANTA has invested time and money to address the various challenges posed by touts in the industry, and warned members of the traveling public to circumspect when planning their trips and who to engage.
“She confirmed that before COVID, NANTA launched its membership identity card with security features that cannot be cloned and it behooves on the travelers to request for the identity profile of the travel professional before doing business with her.
“We frown hard at fraud in the sector and have taken critical measures to address it,” she stated.
On measures to further check fake and fraudulent operators, Mrs Akporiaye disclosed that efforts are ongoing to educate and create awareness among security agencies on the measures put in place to muscle touts out of the system, adding that a recent visit to the office of the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency ( NDLEA) was rewarding while a visit to EFCC, will be initiated in earnest.
“It kills and demoralizes the efforts of registered and genuine travel professionals when touts are labeled as travel agents, It is demeaning and we pray that the security agencies and the media should reach out to NANTA to verify such purported agent(s) before going public.
She warned that the association is ready to disown a member/members who may run afoul of the law or seen to have defrauded any member of traveling public.