The Abia State Government has announced plans to convert the proposed new Government House at Ogurube Layout, Umuahia, into a five-star hotel.
The Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu, revealed this during a media tour of the site on Thursday.
He also stated that a new governor’s office and lodge will be constructed at the existing Government House Complex.
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Kanu refuted claims that the current Government House is rented, asserting that the property was duly acquired by the state government.
He alleged that previous administrations falsely claimed to be paying rent for it, diverting government funds for personal gain.
The commissioner described the building project at Ogurube Layout, which the previous administration claimed to have completed and commissioned, as uninhabitable and never intended for residential use.
He pointed out the absence of essential features like wardrobes and described the interior as mostly empty halls.
“This place appears inhabitable. There are no wardrobes anywhere. Most of what we saw were just halls, empty halls. Did anybody see any wardrobe on any of the floors? There were no wardrobes. So this place was never meant to be a residential house,” Kanu stated.
He also noted that only the first floor seemed finished, while the remaining floors were incomplete and the entire building was unsafe due to unfinished plastering and the lack of an installed elevator.
He accused a former commissioner, John Okiyi Kalu, of spreading falsehoods about the project.
Kanu alleged that the previous government rushed the construction for public appearance, misusing state resources on a “gigantic edifice that is meant to achieve nothing.”
He also raised security concerns due to the building’s location being surrounded by other structures.
He urged the people of Abia to disregard the opposition and continue supporting Governor Otti, assuring them that the governor is responsible and would not waste or misuse state resources.
Kanu emphasized that Otti would not allow such waste and is committed to the proper use of Abia’s funds.
See photos below:
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