The Abia State Government has announced plans to convert the newly built Government House at Ogurube Layout, Umuahia, into a five-star hotel, citing its “uninhabitable condition.”
This was revealed by the State Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu, during a press tour of the facility on Wednesday.
He described the building—commissioned by the previous administration—as lacking the basic features required for use as a Government House and said it was unsafe for occupation.
The commissioner disclosed that the Governor Alex Otti-led administration has initiated plans to construct a new and befitting government house on the site of the former official residence.
“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. 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,” the Commissioner said.
Kanu questioned the intent behind the structure’s design. “One begins to wonder what the designers of this so-called Government House had in mind. How could anyone expect a governor to reside in such a place?”
The commissioner further emphasised that the structure was far from complete, corroborating Otti’s earlier remarks.
“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. The whole place looks unsafe. If anyone missteps in certain parts, they could fall through to their death,” he explained.
He alleged that the building was hastily constructed to mislead the public.
“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,” he said.
Describing the location as a security risk due to the number of surrounding buildings, Kanu dismissed recent rebuttals by former Commissioner for Information, John Okiyi Kalu, on national television.
“Everything he said was a lie. I brought members of the press here so they could see the truth for themselves and verify what the Governor had earlier said.”
Kanu also debunked claims that the previous Government House was a rented facility.
“Let me put that lie to rest. The old Government House was not a rented apartment. It was a property duly acquired by the state. However, the previous administration paid themselves rent from government coffers while pretending it was a rented space.”
The Commissioner urged Abians to ignore opposition rhetoric and continue to support the administration’s efforts to deliver transparent and purposeful governance.
