•Jonathan
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has said most of the projects he initiated as Governor of Bayelsa State were abandoned shortly after he left to become Vice President to late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
Speaking during the commissioning of the Best Western Plus Hotel, a new world-class hospitality facility at Oxbow lake, Yenagoa, today, Jonathan said the problem of governance at the state level is that when governors leave, the successors don’t want to continue with the projects initiated with the state resources, reports Daily Trust.
He lauded the management of Best Western Plus for bringing such a premium brand to Bayelsa.
He recalled efforts during his tenure as governor to encourage private investments in hospitality to make Yenagoa more attractive to tourists and business travellers.
He said: “As a first elected deputy governor of Bayelsa State, Governor then, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, started hosting the African Movie Academy Award (AMAA) ceremonies that people from America, South Africa and others were coming, actors and actresses, it was a world event, you know all these celebrities, they live sort of fantastic life and the first edition hosted, most of the external guests stayed in Port Harcourt, because there was no hotel that you could see in Bayelsa State.
“The idea of a state in encouraging tourism is for tourists to spend their foreign money in the state to stimulate the local economy, so if the state is to spend on the programme that brings people all over the world and then the money will be spent in other states, that is a negative investment.
“So when I took over as the governor, then there were quite some small small hotels in Yenagoa, and we cannot build a three star hotel overnight, let us give some little money for our hotels to improve, but they supposed to pay back, and we gave money up to N10, N15 million to a number of people, but because I left, nobody returned any money to anybody.
“So when we wanted to host again, we quickly awarded contracts to build three hotels, the tower hotel and two three star hotels, if they had done these three hotels, by now visitors coming to Bayelsa State would have comfortable place to stay, but somehow when I left, even people I mobilised, we didn’t see what they did.
“That is the problem of government, when governor leaves, the next governor doesn’t want to follow up, most of the money spent will go,” he said.
Executive Director of the hotel, Mrs. Initeme Aduke-Eromhonsele and the hotel’s founder, Dr. Harcourt Aduke, highlighted the unique features of the facility, describing it as a blend of elegance, comfort, and modern convenience.
They noted that the hotel offers breathtaking lakefront views of the Oxbow Lake, creating a serene and scenic environment for guests.
The grand launch of Best Western Plus Hotel, an affiliate of the globally acclaimed Best Western brand, signifies Yenagoa’s growing reputation as an emerging hub for tourism, investment, and high-end hospitality in the Niger Delta region.
In his remarks, Governor Diri commended the hotel owner, for his foresight and commitment to investing in the Bayelsa economy through the establishment of such a first-class facility.
He described the project as a landmark development that would boost the state’s hospitality sector, create employment for the youth, and contribute to community development.
