Governor Umo Eno is facing backlash after engaging a United Kingdom-based consultancy, Aleph Technical and Advisory Services, to manage Akwa Ibom State-owned hotels, months after declaring that his administration would not hand the facilities to third-party operators.

The controversy followed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with the firm for the management of major hospitality assets owned by the state government.

The development has drawn criticism from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, which accused the governor of policy inconsistency.

State Government had in 2020 contracted Ibom Icon Hotels and Golf Resort franchise to manage the state’s flagship hotel in Uyo after Starwood Hotels & Resorts exited its contract with the state government.

However, in September last year, Governor Eno cancelled the arrangement, insisting that his administration would not entrust the running of the state’s hospitality investments to contract managers.

During an inspection of renovation work at the hotel at the time, the governor said the state would rather develop its own brand and assemble professionals, including Akwa Ibom indigenes and other experts, to run the facilities.

But in what critics describe as a reversal, the governor over the weekend signed an MoU with Aleph for the management of all state-owned hospitality structures.

Highlights of the agreement released by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor showed that the MoU covers four facilities in the state: Ibom Icon and Golf Resort, Four Points by Sheraton Ikot Ekpene, Ibom International Hotel, and Arise Palm Resort.

Governor Eno reportedly told the Aleph delegation during the signing ceremony at Government House, Uyo, that Akwa Ibom has the potential to become a tourism destination and assured the consultants that his administration would give them the necessary support to succeed.

Leader of the Aleph team, Jad Shamseddin, said the firm spent several days assessing the facilities across the state and found that they were built to standard.

He noted that the hotels have both strengths and weaknesses but expressed confidence that with a few adjustments the desired results would be achieved.

Shamseddin added that a formal Hotel Management Agreement, HMA, would be signed after completion of due diligence.

Reacting to the development, a chieftain of the PDP in the state, Dr Tom Fredfish, said the governor owes Akwa Ibom people an explanation over what he described as inconsistent policy direction.

Fredfish, Chairman of PDP Advocates for Peace and Justice, said the governor had only months earlier rejected third-party management of the state’s hotels, insisting that the government would build its own brand.

According to him, changing strategy is not necessarily the problem, but reversing a firm public position without explanation raises concerns.

He said if the governor had reconsidered his earlier position and concluded that professional management was necessary, the administration should openly state the reasons for the shift.

Fredfish added that transparency would help restore credibility and address questions about what changed between the earlier rejection of contract management and the new agreement with Aleph. (Vanguard)

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