National Daily

Foundation in honour of Mr. Tourism launched

THREE months into the departure of Mr. Tourism, Matts Ebaboje Da Silva, the family has announced the setting up of a foundation in his honour. This was made by the widow of the late tourism icon, Mrs. Fanny Da Silva during the posthumous celebration of his birthday at the family resident in Ikotun, suburb of Lagos.

Da Silva who died on February 10 and Buried on March 28 and would had been 72 on May 22. At a solemn birthday gathering, the widow revealed that the foundation is a fulfillment of the wish of the late husband and would be devoted to keeping alive his memory adding that the family is determined to ensure that dream of his husband for the tourism sector is further realized through the foundation.
As you all know, my husband's romance with the tourism industry cannot be over-emphasised, he spoke and breathe tourism. In fact, he lived for tourism until the very end. Besides inviting you all here today to celebrate our mentor with us, it was the wish of my husband to institute a foundation before the end of his life on earth and this wish we want to keep alive, said the widow.

She also spoke of plans being made to constitute a board of trustees and management team for the foundation as wished by the husband. The foundation is billed for formal launch next year during the first anniversary of his death. Meanwhile, Mrs. Da Silva pleaded with the government, friends and associates of his late husband as well as all private tourism operators to continue to give support to the industry as abandoning it means a de-service to his late husband.