The Kogi government has initiated move to take over all hotel rooms in the state from Saturday 4 to Sunday 12 November.
Analysts believe that the plot was to take over the hotels ahead of the 11 November governorship election and denied other stakeholders the use of the facility.
The initiative was revealed in a government memo to the managers of all hotels in the state and currently trending on social media.
Dated 31 October and captioned “Request for reservation of all your hotel rooms from 4th November to 12th November 2023,” the memo is signed by the Director-General Government House administration, Alhaji Oricha U. Shuaibu.
The memo states that the government intends to rent and occupy all the rooms irrespective of their sizes and classifications at their current rates. It further directs the management of each hotel to submit details of their bills for all the rooms for payment, not later than 12 noon on 1 November.
Although the memo is silent on it, the initiative may not be unconnected with the governorship election coming up in the state on 11 November. There are fears the directive may make prices of hotel accommodation skyrocket during the exercise.
The move has sparked diverse reactions on social media, with the majority wondering if it will not affect the work of election observers in the state.
See the letter below