Hoteliers groan as Imo govt/NLC face-off deepens

Hoteliers in Imo State there is urging the state government and the state chapter of the NLC to settle differently to save the tourism industry from collapse.

Governor Hope Uzodinma sacked the Commissioner for Manpower and Productivity, Ford Ozumba, on Saturday in a face-off.

The face caused a total blackout in Owerri since Thursday due to the operation of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company, which supplies power to Imo.

The blackout puts hoteliers at risk as patronage is lost.

The Chairman of the Imo chapter of the Hoteliers Association of Nigeria, Chima Chukwunyere, told journalists in Owerri that the effects of the face-off in the tourism industry are untoward.

He urged the parties to sheath their swords and save the industry before it is too late.

According to him, the high cost of diesel and the ongoing cash crunch are enough challenges for the industry which continues to struggle with various taxes in a tight economy.

He described the tourism industry as the second highest employer of labor in Imo and called on the parties to quickly resolve their differences in the interest of the state and the economy.

“As the saying goes, where two elephants fight, the grass suffers and the grass here becomes the hotel industry.

“More than 80 percent of hotels are on the verge of collapse. They cannot pay staff salaries and cannot cover other expenses from December 2022.

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“Now about 70 percent of hotel owners in the country are asking people to leave their hotels because they want to move their business to Asaba or Ghana.

“This is a worrying situation and any issues between the warring parties should be resolved as soon as possible,” Mr. Chukwunyere pleaded.

(AT)