The Abia State Governor Alex Otti administration has disclosed plans to convert the newly multi-billion naira constructed Government House into a five-star hotel in Abia State,
Penpushing reports that the Commissioner of Information in Abia State, Okey Kanu made the disclosure when he conducted journalists around the facility, a project constructed and commissioned on May 28 2023, the former Governor of the state, Okezie Ikpeazu, a day before the end of his tenure
The Commissioner described the structure as uninhabitable and a security risk claiming that the structure was not completed but was hastily inaugurated 24 hours before Ikpeazu left office.
Penpushing further reports that Kanu argued that the complex was never intended for residential use, claiming the facility lacks essential facilities, emphasizing that the building just contained empty halls
‘This place appears uninhabitable. There are no wardrobes anywhere. Most of what we saw were just halls – empty halls. One begins to wonder what the designers had in mind when they put up this so-called Government House and expected a governor to live in it’, he stated
Penpushing also reports that the commissioner queried the logic behind the design, expressing disbelief that the structure was expected to serve as a Government House, pointing out that only the first floor of the building appeared to be completed, with the remaining floors unfinished and the elevator not installed.
The commissioner accused the Ikpeazu administration of rushing the project to create a facade of accomplishment, despite its incomplete and unsafe state, adding that lot of places were not plastered and look dangerous
Penpushing reports that he disclosed that the new administration is planning construction of a new government house at the old government house site on the directive of the Governor
‘You can see a lot of the places that were not plastered. The whole place looks dangerous. The structure (the new Government House) at Ogurube Layout will be converted into a five-star hotel’, he said.
Penpushing further reports that the commissioner explained that the governor, as a responsible leader, would convert the complex because the administration will not allow state resources to be wasted.
The commissioner claimed that the conversion would benefit the state economically, and equally dismissed claims by the past administration that the old Government House was a rented property, insisting that the facility was duly acquired by the state government.
‘Those who were in office before now were busy paying themselves rent from government coffers, deceiving the public that they were paying rent for a Government House,” he stated.
Penpushing also reports that it is recalled that the Ikpeazu’s administration inherited the project which is at Ogurute Layout in Umuahia, a few metres from the State Secretariat from his predecessor, Theodore Orji, who initiated and built it up to the roofing stage.
The record, however, has it that incumbent Governor Alex Otti, was running the government from his country home outside of Umuahia, after abandoning both the New Government House and Old Government House Complexes.
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