Gov Otti Announces Plan To Transform Ex-Gov Ikpeazu’s Govt House Into A Hotel
Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has announced plans to convert the controversial Government House built by former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu into a five-star hotel, citing its poor condition and lack of essential features.
The building, located at Ogurube Layout in Umuahia, has been described by the state as unfit for human habitation.
Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu, during a tour of the facility, said the structure does not meet the standard of a Government House and would be better suited for commercial use.
“The structure at Ogurube Layout will be converted into a five-star hotel. Governor Otti is a responsible leader who will not allow state resources to be wasted. This place appears uninhabitable,” Kanu stated.
He pointed out that the building lacked wardrobes, had many empty halls, and appeared never to have been designed for residential use. “There are no wardrobes anywhere. Most of what we saw were just empty halls. Did anybody see any wardrobe on any of the floors? There were none. So this place was never meant, from the outset, to be a residential house.
“Only the first floor appears to have been finished. The rest of the building remains incomplete. A lot of areas are not even plastered, and the elevator was never installed,” Kanu said.
He further explained the safety concerns, saying, “The whole place looks unsafe. If anyone missteps in certain parts, they could fall through to their death. They rushed to erect this structure simply to deceive people into believing it was a functioning Government House.
“Yes, there are a few pieces of furniture here, but that’s all. The upper floors are completely empty. They misused state resources to put up a gigantic edifice that serves no real purpose,” Kanu added.
Kanu also dismissed reports that the previous Government House was a rented property.
Sodiq Yusuf is a trained media practitioner and journalist with considerable years of experience in print, broadcast, and digital journalism. His interests cover a wide range of causes in politics, governance, sports, community development, and good governance.
