Johnkennedy Uzoma
The Nigerian Hotels Association, Imo State chapter has decried the ongoing industrial action embarked upon by the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) which arose from a face-off between the State Government and the Nigerian Labour Congress in Imo State.
The association observed that such a situation if not immediately resolved would drag the hospitality industry in the state into a state of comatose and imminent collapse.
According to the association, the unhealthy development had been compounded by the raging cashless policy in the country which had subjected the industry to another round of agony, frustration and low revenue generation apart from frequent multiple taxations.
Briefing newsmen in Owerri on Saturday, on the latest ordeal of the body, the Chief Servant of the association, Chima Chukwnyere regretted that the hotel industry in the state which suffered a monumental setback during the Covid-19 and Ends SARS protest era had always become a whipping boy.
He said: “the tug of war between the State Government and the NLC in the state has dealt a devastating blow on the tourism industry and as the saying goes where two elephants fight, the grasses suffer and the grass here is the hotel industry”.
He stated that the industrial action by the EEDC and the attendant total blackout in the state had become another nightmare for the hotel industry in the state.
He said before the worrisome situation, Chukwnyere recalled with lamentation that the industry had had to contend with erratic power supply and high prices of petroleum products and other challenges.
He said: “on the 28th of September 2022, I met Governor Hope Uzodimma and he admitted that the only industry he has in the state is the hospitality industry, assured me that he would not allow it to die because of the huge revenue generation for the state, employment to our Youths and that he would boast the industry in the interest of the state”.
Chukwnyere, however, expressed regret that the reverse is now the case as according to him about 99% of the industry has now collapsed, and 80% of the hotels had nighter to pay staff salaries nor met other expenses since December 2022.
He said: “whatever is the problem between labour and the state government should be sorted out quickly because from what I have seen on the industry, there might not be any hope again. Right now about 70% of hotel owners in the state are asking people to leave their hotels because they ‘Hotel owners’ want to relocate their business to either Asaba or Ghana”.
Recalled that the NLC members had embarked on industrial action, a situation which has led to a total blackout in the state.
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