Danger Looms In Owerri Hospitality Industry As Protea Hotel’s Walls Crack

Dan Opara Danjay

• OCDA allegedly collects $1,215.07  for Integrity Test

A danger is currently looming in a South African-owned Hospital Industry, Protea Hotel Marriott Owerri Select, located at the popular Concorde Hotel axis, New Owerri Area of Imo State, following the all-around cracking of the walls of the Hotel building.

It would be recalled that a ( 9) nine storey building collapsed along Musa Yar’adua Drive by Hot 99.5 FM New Owerri last year which claimed the lives of many people. That ugly tragedy prompted the Imo State Government to set up a Committee to look into the causes of the disaster.

Recalled, that the former Political Adviser to the former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Ahmed Gulak left Protea Hotel before he was killed on his way to Imo Airport by some unknown gunmen a few months ago as many other prominent people in the society always like to enjoy themselves at that hotel.

Journalists who visited the Hospital Industry recently took inventories of the all-around cracks of the walls of the building after meeting the Management Team of the Hotel, a South African Woman, Mrs. Glenys Du Pont, the General Manager, Mr. Emeka Nwokorie, the Financial Controller, and one Mr. Joseph Asian who claimed to be the Technical/Structural Manager.

 

A guest spotted at the entrance of the Hotel by Our Correspondent who did not want his name on print said that he checked into the Hotel at night, but decided to check out immediately he viewed the ugly nature of the building.

 

Meanwhile, the team brought out a certified document indicating that the building has recently undergone the Integrity Test at the sum of five hundred thousand Naira only(#500.000.00) which currently equals to $1,215.07, through Owerri Capital Development Authority, OCDA.

 

However, Mr. Joseph Asian claimed that the cracks cannot affect the building as it has a strong foundation.

When contacted via cell phone, the OCDA General Manager, Hon.Engr. Innocent Ikpamezie acknowledged the presence of his men at the Hotel but stated that he is yet to get their report.