NEWS
ABIA STATE GOVERNMENT DEBUNKS FALSE CLAIMS ON ABIA HOTELS REVOCATION, SAYS INVESTOR WAS FULLY COMPENSATED
….as Prince Okey Kanu, Ferdinand Ekeoma, Kingsley Agomuo, Present Detailed Clarification
In a firm move to set the records straight, the Abia State Government has urged the public to disregard the misleading narratives circulating over the revocation of Abia Hotels Limited, Umuahia, insisting that the facts remain clear and verifiable.
This clarification was made by the Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, on Monday at Government House Umuahia while briefing newsmen on the outcome of this week’s State Executive Council meeting chaired by Governor Alex Otti.
Prince Kanu emphasized that the social media claims being circulated by Investment Guarantee Limited, the former investor at Abia Hotels Limited, are false and misleading. He explained that the state government had fully compensated the co-investor, Barr. Randy Obinna Ukanwoko, and thereafter lawfully took possession of the property.
According to him, all attempts to portray the government in a negative light are unfounded and deliberately orchestrated to mislead the public.
During the briefing, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ferdinand Ekeoma, responded to questions from journalists, stressing that the investor had breached every single term contained in the original agreement—an action he described as an affront. He shed more light on the government’s decision-making process.
“There was a discussion. There was a negotiation. That negotiation was not done because he was right. But it was done because this is a government that believes in empathy.
“The government that has compassion. And like we did tell them, this government has also treated other persons, other investors, whether real or genuine or not, like that. Because the government doesn’t want to dwell in the past.
“The government wants to move forward. The government doesn’t want to say, okay, because you have changed the government in the past, you enter into a funny agreement.
“We will deal with you. And like we told his wife the day the government officials went there, it’s only a government like that of Dr. Alex Otti that will do what the state government has done,” Ekeoma stated.
Adding further clarity, the General Manager of the Umuahia Capital Development Authority (UCDA), Mr. Kingsley Agomuo, revealed that the state government paid the investor ₦450 million in October, after which the facility was sealed three weeks later.
He explained that the investor had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the previous administration, clearly stating that no development or upgrading of any part of the already-existing structures should occur without proper approval from relevant government agencies.
According to Agomuo, “it’s quite clear that before you upgrade or develop any part of that structure, you should get approval clearly stated from relevant government agencies before you can now upgrade. That place was not a virgin land. There were facilities there.
And that was when the government at that time stated it clearly in that MOU, which he signed.”
Agomuo further accused Barr. Ukanwoko of deceiving other investors by falsely claiming that the Abia State Government never compensated him.
“He kept telling them that there was no compensation. He did not even tell them that he has collected money. And he was even telling government not to let people know the amount,” he explained.
He said that since the matter has now been taken to the media by the investor, it has become necessary for the government to lay bare the facts for the public to understand the truth.
With these explanations, the Abia State Government reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, due process, and accountability, assuring Abians that the administration of Governor Alex Otti remains focused on doing what is right and lawful in all public-interest matters.