Enugu Govt Seals Off Hotel Where INEC Issued Certificates Of Return To Governor Elect, Others

Posted by Ignatius Okpara Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Saturday, April 1st, 2023

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Barely 48 hours after the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC issued Certificate of Return to the Enugu State governor – elect, Dr. Peter Mbah, his Deputy, Bar. Ifeanyi Ossai, and House of Assembly members elect, at a private hotel, Bon Platinum, the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority, ECTDA, has sealed off the facility.

The decision, according to the Agency, was because available records indicates that the said hall in the hotel where the event took place has no government approval.

Besides, it was also learnt that another key reason for the development was as a result of alleged structural defect of the double decker hall which caused a big bang during the issuance of the certificates of return to the election winners on Thursday.

The heavy sound, which caused serious confusion and made the governor elect and other recipients of the election Certificates, including the State Commissioner of police, INEC staff and other guests to scamper for safety.

After the pandemonium caused by the Sound settled, the INEC officials continued with the Certificate issuance which they completed and guests hurriedly left the hall for fear of the unknown.

Our Correspondent writes that the loud bang in the venue sent the people scampering out of the hall, causing a stampede.

Following the development, the ECTDA on Friday went for an inspection on the facility and discovered the building had no approval plan, together with another upcoming structure in the hotel.

Chairman of Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority, Dr. Josef Onoh, who disclosed this, said that management of the hotel was impatient with the agency to conclude it’s investigation of the facility and was bent on holding another function on the distressed hall by Saturday without resolving the problem with the building.

“The hall doesn’t have an approval but the hotel has and there was a structural band on the hall yesterday (Thursday) when INEC was issuing certificates of return which made everybody to scatter because they thought the building was going to collapse.

“So we went there today for inspection and we are now sealing the place, including another building being developed at the back.

“The proprietor of the hotel is not ready to exercise patience for the Nigeria Society of Engineers to come for their own inspection, but is asking us to allow her host a wedding there tomorrow and I wonder how much she collected for the event that the venue cannot be relocated. So we have sealed the hall.”

African Examiner checks revealed that the hotel is owned by a late former local government area Chairman in Enugu state, (names withheld) and currently being managed by the immediate family