By Ushang Ewa
Guests who were lodging in the Tinapa Lakeside hotel deserted the hospitality outfit in droves on Sunday and Monday (Easter) following several days of non supply of electricity findings by CrossRiverWatch reveal.
CrossRiverWatch gathered that guests who choosed the hospitality outfit to spend the Easter holidays were left disappointed as they had no electricity supply which left them frustrated and with no other option than leaving with a source suggesting the power plants may have packed up with the situation adversely impacting on the entire Tinapa Premier Business and Leisure Resort.
The General Manager of the Hotel, Justina Ovat who was recently appointed by Cross River Governor, Senator Ben Ayade confirmed this to CrossRiverWatch but denied their plants have any issues and directed further inquiries to the Managing Director of the resort, Ojong Ayiba.
“Yes that’s true,” Ovat told CrossRiverWatch newsroom when asked if guests left.
She agreed the facility has been without light for days and on the issue of the power generating plants not been functional, she said: “Uh no, our power plants are functioning very well, it is just the problem of fueling them with diesel.”
When asked why fuelling was a problem, she directed our correspondent to talk to the “management of TBRL (Tinapa Business Resort Limited),” adding that: “So far it is under the management (of TBRL) but the Governor intends for the hotel to be autonomous. We are setting out plans for the hotel to be autonomous.”
On who collects the revenue, she said: “The hotel doesn’t have an account. It is one account for the entire resort, that is the Cross River Tinapa account. Every money goes into that account and it is controlled by TBRL.”
Ovat, the former Special Adviser on Tourism Development and founder of the Calabar Hospitality House was appointed to oversee the hotel while a former Chairman of Ikom local government area, Ojong Ayiba was appointed Managing Director of the entire resort.
As at press time, CrossRiverWatch could not reach Ayiba for comments.
The Tinapa Lakeside hotel is located close to the artificial lake at the resort which has remained a subject of controversy over the years with no definite information concerning why the project deemed a white elephant by critics has not realized its full potentials despite billions spent on it and hundreds of millions subsequently in its management over the years.
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