The investor in the Presidential Hotel Enugu, E Hospitality Services Limited has denied allegations that herdsmen are now grazing at the building site. They described as mischief the allegations made by an Enugu based Politician.
The project is delayed because the investors are Waiting for the new Government to appoint its board representative to the company.
The new Government also needs to sign off on the new Execution plan because of the Foreign Currency changes in Nigeria. The third issue is that of the former Lessee whose agreement was terminated and had gone to Court.
In a release made available to the media by Chuma Anosike the Vice Chairman of Primeview the SPV that owns the asset said ” Our attention has been drawn to a publication in the Vanguard Newspaper of 30th June 2016 where a certain Ray Nnaji made comments regarding the status of Hotel Presidential, Enugu, all of which are false, malicious and totally unfounded.
Ordinarily, we would have ignored same but for the underlying mischief which pervaded the entire article and its potential to cause disaffection within the populace. In order to set the records straight and avoid further dissemination of false and misleading information, we wish to state as follows:
Primeview Hotels Limited is by a duly registered title document, the Concessionaire of Hotel Presidential, Enugu and has been in occupation of the property since August 2013. The property is and has been under the control of our security personnel and at no time since we took possession of the property has the hotel premises been used by herdsmen for grazing of cattle.
This is a most preposterous allegation as a visit to the Hotel Premises will confirm this fact. We therefore wonder why the author would choose to make such a wild, baseless and tendentious statement especially given the sensitivity of the issue ofRampaging Herdsmen who have recently caused so much carnage and grief in Enugu State. The only logical conclusion is that the author on his own or in concert with others is acting out a script to deliberately smear the image of Primeview Hotels Ltd in order to achieve an ulterior objective.
“We also find equally ridiculous the allegation that the Hotel was sold by the immediate past Governor, Barrister Sullivan Chime to his “crony”. A cursory investigation into the nature of the transaction that gave rise to the current Concession Agreement will expose the ignorance and/or deliberate mischief of the author.
“The Hotel Presidential was never sold, Primeview Hotels Ltd, the current concessionaire is a Joint Venture Company whose shareholders are E-Hospitality Services Ltd (owned by private interests) and Hotel Presidential Ltd (owned by the Enugu State Government). No sale transaction ever took place nor was any contemplated as part of the Agreement.”
“Chime has no direct or indirect interest in either E-Hospitality Services Ltd or Primeview Hotels Ltd. Both companies are duly registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission and their corporate documents are easily accessible to anyone who wishes to inquire.
Without holding brief for Chime, as we are sure he is well able to defend himself, at no time during the negotiation or thereafter did he solicit or demand for any stake in either company or any personal benefit for himself.
Again, we are at a loss as to why a responsible person would seek to publish such deliberate falsehood.
Since taking possession of the property, Primeview has spent over US$1 million (One Million US Dollars Only) on the following amongst other things; conduct of Geological Survey, conduct of Topographical Survey, conduct of Structural Integrity Test on Building, conduct of Environmental Impact Assessment, complete Strip out of Pipes, Wires, etc in the entire Building, complete water proofing and Refurbishment of To those who are knowledgeable about the international Hospitality business, they would appreciate that a lot of preliminary work has to be done before visible activity on site will commence.
“Following the strip out exercise, the existing structure may not paint a “pretty picture” but it is a necessary part of the complete refitting and renovation which we are committed to executing in order to produce a truly world- class Hospitality facility. Consequently, to the untrained eye, it may look like the doors, windows and sanitary wares have “been carted away”.
As our partners in progress, we have engaged with the new administration in the State with a view to moving the Project forward as soon as possible.
“We remain confident that with the completion of our refitting programme, the once iconic property will not only recover its lost glory, it will become a reference point for Hospitality in the South-East Zone and become a major revenue earner for the State which is a shareholder, and act as a catalyst to drive socio-economic activities in the State”
