Cross River Assembly to seal transcorp/metropolitan hotel over ownership clarity

The Cross River State House of Assembly have threatened to seal transcorp/metropolitan hotel following investigation into the ownership status of the hospitality facility.

Already, there is multiple concerns over the opaqueness and lack of transparency in documentation surrounding its management and alleged concession.

The investigation was carried out by a special committee of the assembly tasked to unbundle the lingering questions about whether Transcorp Hotel still remains the property of the Cross River State Government or was concession to private entities.

The Committee’s primary objective was to among others, determine the terms and conditions of any existing concession and whether the current management is fulfilling the obligations outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

However, . According to the Committee’s report, the investigation has been slowed by the absence of crucial documents and substantial evidence as neither the management of Transcorp Hotel nor that of the Metropolitan Hotel has provided the necessary documentation to clarify the transaction between the Cross River State Government and Transcorp.

A latest oversight visit on August 27, 2024 by the Committee to the hotel making it the third, yielded no result as the required documents were still not presented.

David Amiye Esq, the Executive Secretary of the State Privatization Council, testified before the Committee stating that when he assumed office, no handover notes or documents relating to the hotel’s ownership were provided. He suggested that transaction might have taken place during the tenure of Chief Ndoma Egba, who served as Executive Secretary during the administration of former Governor Donald Duke.

The Ministry of Justice also failed to provide conclusive information, revealing only that as of 2022, the State Government had planned to buy over Transcorp through the Metropolitan Hotel and concession it to Reserved Hotel Limited. But the Ministry did not confirm whether this plan was executed. The State Accountant-General corroborated the lack of transparency, confirming that no remittances has been made by Transcorp to the State Government’s treasury.

According to the Chief Press Secretary to Speaker Ayambem, Mr. Matthew Okache, the Committee’s report raised concerns about the involvement of Mrs. Onari Duke, the former First Lady of the State, who is currently the Managing Director of the hotel. And despite efforts by the committee to obtain explanations and relevant documents from her, no information has been forthcoming.

The Committee further noted that the change of the hotel’s name from Transcorp to Metropolitan Hotel was made without the involvement of the State Privatization Council or the Bureau of Public-Private Partnership. It also revealed that since the administration of Governor Donald Duke, no payment have been made by Transcorp to the Cross River State coffer.

The committee however, directed the Attorney-General/Commissioner for Justice to take legal steps to seal up Transcorp/Metropolitan with immediate effect pending when their documents would be made available for scrutiny by the Committee of the House.

Reacting to the findings, members of the Cross River State House of Assembly expressed deep concern over the situation.

Hon. Ovat Agbor, representing Obubra 1 State Constituency urged the State Government to take immediate action to reclaim state-owned properties. “What belongs to the State should be returned appropriately,” he stressed.

Hon. Francis Ogban, representing Biase state constituency criticized the previous administration for lack of applying due process in the concession of Metropolitan hotel. He called on the government to ensure that the property is returned to the State, so that citizens can benefit from the employment opportunities.

Hon. Egbe Abeng, representing Obubra 2, state constituency emphasized that all state properties belong to the people and must be recovered. “No one is more Cross Riverian than another,” he said, stressing that the State’s assets should be safeguarded for the benefit of all citizens.

In his remark, Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Elvert Ayambem condemned the appropriation of state properties by individuals, declaring that such actions are unacceptable.

“Cross River State properties do not belong to any family members but to the Cross River State Government and its citizens,” he said. The Speaker assured that the 10th Assembly would continue to work towards repositioning the State on the right trajectory to fully achieve the “People’s First” agenda of the current administration.

By: Archibong Emmanuel
(Snr. Reporter)