The Abia State government has directed operators of hotels and other facilities in the hospitality industry to ensure that guests and visitors to the state are not exposed to unsecure and unhygienic environments.
The state government also said that the classification system it is introducing in the hospitality industry would be used to access the facilities in the hotels.
The Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Mathew Ekwuribe, said this in Umuahia during a stakeholders’ engagement program organized for operators in the hospitality industry.
He noted that any hotel found to be below in the accepted security, hygiene and equipment standard would be asked to upgrade, adding that the classification policy is free of charge.
Ekwuribe disclosed that the upgrading of National War Museum and Ojukwu Bunker in Umuahia has been approved by Governor Alex Otti but said that the state government is waiting for Federal government’s approval.
Also addressing the operators, a representative of Amena Technology, which partners the state government in the scheme, advised hotel owners against staffing their facilities with untrained persons or people without registered addresses.
The company which spoke through its leader, Edosa Eghobamien, said the safety of guests would be at risk if hotels are manned by untrained staff or if the facilities are in unhealthy conditions.
Eghobamien said that the operators should not panic or evade the classification exercise, as according to him, no money would be collected by the government during the inspection of their facilities.
