• Allege gov plotting to stop observers
• No plans to book all hotel rooms in state capital, says govt

Governorship standard bearers of various parties for the November 11 election in Imo State have frowned on the request by the state government to all the hotels in Owerri, to reserve all the rooms for it between November 4 and 12, 2023.

They also accused the governor, Hope Uzodimma, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, of setting aside N5 billion taxpayers’ money for reservation of about 7,000 hotel rooms for people he intends to use during the poll.

In a letter issued last Wednesday, the Commissioner for Tourism, Jerry Egemba, had requested: “I wish to refer to the above subject and inform you that the Ministry of Tourism intends to rent and occupy all the rooms in your hotel, no matter the size and classification, from Saturday, November 4, to Sunday, November 12, 2023 at your usual cost per room for full occupation.

“I, therefore, request you to submit to my office before noon tomorrow, Thursday October 26, 2023 details of your accommodation bills for all the rooms covering the period for settlement.”

The letter, which reportedly leaked Monday evening, prompted the reaction of opposition candidates, including Athan Achonu of Labour Party (LP), Samuel Anyanwu of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Maj-Gen. Lincoln Ogunewe (rtd) of Action Alliance (AA).

In its reaction, the state government said it was not planning to rent all hotel rooms in the state capital.

Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Declan Emelumba, told newsmen in Owerri that the government was not aware of any such arrangement.

He stated: “The government is not aware of any such hotel bookings. The government does correspond with stakeholders through social media and will not do so.”

But he acknowledged that the government was aware of plans by the opposition to flood the state with thugs ahead of the elections, adding that the matter was being addressed with relevant security agencies for necessary action.

Deputy Director of APC campaign council, Ambrose Nwogwugwu, noted that the reason for booking some of the hotels was to block those intending to import thugs into the state from doing so.

Reacting yesterday, the state Publicity Secretary of AA, Salvator Amadi, accused Uzodimma of displaying a high level of desperation “to import thugs and private militia, and to stop election observers from having accommodation to stay and do their work during the period.”

Director of Achonu’s media council, Chibuikem Diala, stated: “With over 1,500 hotels in the metropolis and an average of 50 rooms per hotel, this means the prodigal state government is trying to rent a minimum of 7,000 rooms for eight nights in the metropolis, amounting to about N5 billion. What a waste!

The statement also alleged that the governor was planning to bring in his security agencies.

“We implore President Bola Tinubu to consider the plight of Imo people and listen to their cries.  We believe the President will ensure that the right things are done,” he stressed.

The candidates wondered why a state with a high debt burden of N207 billion, according to the Debt Management Office (DMO), should do such.

But in reply to the accusers of Uzodimma, the Deputy Director, Electronic / New Media, Ambrose Nwogwugwu, said the intention was for the good of all, to prevent Uzodimma’s opponents from importing hoodlums into the state before, during and after the poll.

He stated, yesterday, said: “The attention of Imo APC Governorship Campaign Council has been drawn to a trending story of a document from the ministry of tourism to hotel owners and hotel managers to make reservations for their rooms from November 4 to 12, 2023 for the ministry.

“Indeed, the said document rightly emanated from the Commissioner for Tourism, Jerry Egemba.

“As security reports have indicated the Influx of thugs and miscreants into the state for the election, the security agencies, in collaboration with the state government, in a measure to curtail their nuisance and ensure that the integrity of next week’s election is not compromised through violence, the state government came up with the idea of knowing the identity of the people coming into the state thru managed advanced booking system and advance hotel reservation directives introduced by the commissioner.”