|
Listen to article
|
The government of Enugu State has explained why it decided to put up part of the premises of the moribund Hotel Presidential, Enugu, for sale to raise money for infrastructure development projects.
The government also stated that the decision followed the discovery that the undeveloped areas have become hideouts for criminals, adding that a shrine for initiation of cultists was recently discovered in the premises.
Commissioner for Information and Communication, Aka Eze Aka, said: ‘Government has decided, as a matter of policy, to dispose moribund and unusable assets at the current market values and deploy the proceeds to critical infrastructure and housing projects, which would be beneficial to the masses. The empty plots at Hotel Presidential are among such disposable assets, and others will be made known to the general public subsequently.
‘But for the avoidance of doubt, Hotel Presidential has not been sold and will never be sold.’
Read Also: Enugu Rangers Secure Landmark Deal, Mbah Vows More Support
‘The government had been inundated with credible security reports pointing to the use of the undeveloped area, now marked for sale, as a hideout for criminals. A shrine for initiation of cultists was also recently discovered there.’
Aka dismissed reports that the government has put up the moribund hotel for sale, stressing that it will never be sold. He added that the state government only gave the Enugu State Housing Development Corporation (ESHDC) approval to take over an undeveloped part of the premises to raise funds for public-oriented infrastructural development projects.
He added: ‘The purported sale of Hotel Presidential is not true. Contrary to reports, the government is in the process of partnering private sector investors to restore the hotel to its glory, as the premier three-star hotel, east of the Niger.
‘The government only gave approval for the ESHDC to sell an undeveloped area of the hotel lying fallow for more than five decades without adding any value to the hotel.’
‘It should be stressed that the current landmass of the hotel exceeds the minimum acreage for a three-star hotel.
