The governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti has announced plans to convert the incomplete Government House building at Ogurube Layout, Umuahia, into a five-star hotel, citing structural and functional defects in the facility as constructed by the administration of Okezie Ikpeazu of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Mr. Okey Kanu, the Commissioner for Information, disclosed this during a press tour of the site on Thursday.
He also said that the current Government House complex would be redeveloped to include a new governor’s office and residential lodge.
Kanu while addressed lingering speculation about the ownership status of the current Government House, saying: “And let me debunk another lie. Before now, they said that the current Government House was a rented apartment. But it is not a rented apartment.
“That property was acquired, duly acquired by the state government, but those people 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 berated the former administration for commissioning a building he described as unsuitable for habitation.
“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.
And one begins to wonder, the person or persons who designed this so-called Government House. One wonders what they had in mind when they designed this kind of Government House and expected a governor to come and live in this kind of place.”
Kanu noted that only one level of the multi-floor structure seems to be completed, adding, “And there is only the first floor that appears to have been finished. The rest of the floors were not finished.”
He also launched scathing attack on the former Information Commissioner John Okiyi Kalu for allegedly misrepresenting the state of the project, referencing a recent television appearance.
“Of course, when Dr. Alex Otti spoke about this Government House a few days ago, John Okiyi went to Arise, to, as usual, spew falsehood. Almost everything he said was a lie. Now I brought you people (pressmen) here to see for yourselves and to confirm what Dr. Alex Otti said.”
According to Kanu, the condition of the structure raises significant safety concerns.
“You can see a lot of the places were not plastered, and the elevator was not installed. The whole place looks dangerous. If anybody missteps there, you can fall through the place to your death.”
He accused the previous administration of hurriedly pushing the project forward for public showmanship, rather than functionality.
“Granted, you will see a few furniture here. But that is as much as you can see. Nothing on the next floor. They misused the resources of the state to put up this gigantic edifice that is meant to achieve nothing, so to speak. This place is not habitable.”
Kanu further pointed out that the building’s location poses security risks due to its proximity to other properties, urging the public to support the current administration.
“Otti, being a responsible governor, would not allow waste and would never misuse the resources of Abians,” he said.
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