TheCable

The Akwa Ibom state government has pledged to unbolt the gates of the Four Point by Sheraton Hotel for 24-hour operations to hospitality industry users in the state.

Udom Emmanuel, the governor, made the pledge during the state constituency campaigns towards the coming general elections at the Ikot Ekpene Township Stadium, recently.

The governor, accompanied by his deputy, Moses Ekpo, said his administration had incurred huge costs to secure needed franchise and the contractual agreement containing the hospitality validation service obligations of adopting the name ‘Four Point By Sheraton Hotel’, adding that everything has been put in place for operations to commence in the hotel.

He explained that the signing of the agreement specifying the terms of contract with the managing partners has exposed the hidden intents of a set of people to divert the ownership and management of the hotel to themselves against the interest of the state, saying that such a mega hospitality institution cannot draw meaningful attraction and collaboration of similar institutions without a proper undertaking and assurance of the state government.

The governor said the interest to revive the operations of the Hotel was to consolidate the pledge of driving industrialization to heights in the state, insisting that the economic investments of the people of Ikot Ekpene constituency would receive a boost with the commencement of services at the hotel.
Emmanuel, who had earlier paid a visit to the paramount ruler of Ikot Ekpene local government, Okuku Okon Ukut, hinted that his administration had completed the dualization of the 21km Uyo–Ikot Ekpene highway in just three years, against 4.3km taken over from the immediate past administration, and urged the people of Ikot Ekpene to support the return of his administration for a second term.