Ebonyi State Government on Friday sealed a three-star hotel, Golden Synergy Apartments and Suites, belonging to a top politician from the state, for failing to comply with urban development and physical planning regulations.

Guardian learnt that the sealed hotel belonging to the Chairman of Ezza North, Chief Moses Ogodo-Ali, is located at 4 Anikpe Street, off Udensi Road, Abakaliki

Our correspondent reported that the action was carried out by officials of the Ministry of Capital City and Urban Development, following reports that the hotel management had commenced construction of an additional multi-storey structure on the same premises without statutory approval.

Briefing journalists after the enforcement exercise, the State Commissioner for Capital City Development, Chief Sunday Elechi Inyima, disclosed that while the hotel initially received approval for its existing four-storey main building, the developers allegedly proceeded to erect another structure in clear contravention of the state’s development control laws.

According to the commissioner, intelligence reports revealed that the new structure had risen to nearly four floors despite lacking the required planning permit and failing to meet mandatory development standards, particularly setback and parking space requirements

“In any urban environment, only about 25 to 30 per cent of a parcel of land is expected to be built upon.

“What we have here is a situation where the entire land space has been taken up, leaving no room for parking or essential auxiliary facilities,” Inyima said.

He described the development as a deliberate and flagrant breach of the law, stressing that no individual or corporate body is permitted to erect any structure within the capital city without obtaining final approval from the ministry.

The commissioner stated that the government had consequently sealed the hotel and halted further construction on the unapproved building, adding that all guests at the facility were evacuated to ensure full compliance with the

enforcement directive.

He explained that the government had presented the hotel management with two options: either to demolish the illegal structure or to acquire additional adjoining land to meet the minimum requirements for parking and other non-residential facilities.

“The hotel remains sealed. It will not be reopened until all stipulated conditions are met. If I pass here and see this place operating again without compliance, it will be treated as a serious offence,” he warned.

Inyima further revealed that the hotel’s management had been invited for a formal meeting with the ministry, where further decisions would be taken based on documentary evidence and compliance commitments.

The Ebonyi State Government reiterated its resolve to enforce planning regulations strictly, noting that the exercise was part of a broader effort to restore order, safety, and sustainability in Abakaliki’s rapidly expanding urban landscape.

(The Guardian)

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