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By EgufeYafugborhi, PORT HARCOURT
LE MERIDIEN Hotel, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, remains in full swing on business, amid the reported revocation of its Certificate of Occupancy, C of O, by Governor Nyesom Wike.
An unconfirmed letter purportedly issued by the Rivers State Government to Ogeyi Place Hotels Limited, operated under the Le Meridien franchise, trending in some media, had indicated that Governor Wike revoked the C of O for the hotel for alleged default on the payment of ground rent.
Commenting on the development, former Media Adviser to Governor Wike, Opunabo Inko Taria, had yesterday, on television chided Wike for taking the alleged action punitively against the hotel for opening their doors to a meeting of supporters of Atiku Abubakar, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate.
However, when Vanguard visited the hotel situated in Port Harcourt New GRA Phase II, it was operating business as usual with a management source affirming they were not aware of any right of the occupancy revocation order.
Inko Taria had alleged, “There was no crisis, politicians met and nothing untoward. So, on what ground are you going to revoke the C of O? it is rationally inexplicable. Simply because these are people that are loyal to Atiku and you want to frustrate the campaign of Atiku and that was why you went ahead to revoke that C of O.”
A hotel management source simply told Vanguard, ” We are not aware of any revocation order. You can see us are in full business and it just would be nice if we are not dragged into the murky waters of Rivers politics.”
Responding to the development, a prominent member of Rivers PDP Campaign Council, told Vanguard, “These days it is common to see anybody seeking cheap public attention on the elections that are coming take the easy option of dropping the governor’s name.
“Wike is not known to fight in pretence and secret. If he wants to fight he comes out to open. The other day it was some rumour mongers shouting on behalf of Atiku from Abuja that his campaign office in Port Harcourt has been sealed by Governor Wike.”
“Today, it is Wike revoking C of O of a hotel for alleged Atiku gathering, yet the same hotel is bubbling in full operation and Inko Tariah who isn’t in Port Harcourt, not the owner or management member is crying more than the bereaved in this instance. That is the height of the campaign of calumny.
“We know their antics. There is no candidate sellable enough to stand as the PDP candidate for the 2023 governorship. They don’t have what it takes to challenge the PDP, so the easy way is to whip unnecessary sentiments, and raise unfounded allegations, but that won’t help them either.”a
The post Revocation of P-Harcourt hotel’s C of O: We’re not aware — Hotel source appeared first on Vanguard News.
