More than 130 employees of Imo Concorde Hotel, Owerri were last week chased away by armed security operatives on the orders of Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, on the grounds that the place is up for renovation.
Owelle Rocha Okorocha1
Another reason the hotel was abruptly closed without reference to the conditions of service of the workers was that it did not meet the government’s standard, after N800 million was invested and some of the facilities were sold.
“The government temporarily closed down the hotel for intensive renovation to meet the standard the government had envisaged ab initio,” explained Okorocha’s Media Assistant, Sam Onwuemeodo.
“The initial renovation work carried out by the government soon after taking over the administration of the state did not meet the standard the government expected.
“[Okorocha] came to know about it when he inspected the hotel for the accommodation of members of the Nigeria Guild of editors who had their conference in May in Owerri for three days.
“The hotel is the property of the state government and it has the responsibility to upgrade it or raise its standard whenever it desires.”
Okorocha has disclosed on several occasions that N400 million was spent to renovate the hotel some months after he terminated its lease to RHAS Nigeria, a Lebanese company.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has also disclosed that Okorocha introduced ABM Group to it as managers of the hotel and that the company paid N400 million for a lease.
Under a mango tree outside the hotel, workers sign attendance register daily, despite being barred from entering the premises. They claimed that they were unjustly sacked.
They alleged that the government has no intention of adding value to the hotel hence guests are taken to private hotels in Owerri by top government officials who also own hotels in the city.
State NLC Secretary, Austine Chilakpo, narrated how he confronted two men from Serbia who were selling the hotel’s equipment, including the central air conditioning system.
“Before we could realise what was happening, these white men had already sold two giant electric power generators belonging to the hotel. They were arrested and taken to Government House.
“To date there is no information on their whereabouts or the return of the generators they sold.
“That is why you see that those who rent office space in Concorde Hotel come in with their private generators,” Chilakpo said.
He also disclosed that the government sacked 307 workers of the hotel in May 2013 and another 130 without recourse to the conditions of service.
Those fired in May last year have not been paid their entitlements, including salary arrears, despite the promise to pay between August and September that year.
“Why should the hotel be declared insolvent to the extent of sacking 437 workers within a year?
“RHAS left behind 535 workers in the hotel and didn’t owe anybody before Okorocha came into office. Salaries, service charges, medical claims and check off dues were paid promptly.
“Today, the story is different. The government cannot work with even 130 workers. The problems of the hotel include mismanagement, inconsistency, interference and diversion of guests to private hotels,” Chilakpo lamented.