Hoteliers in Ogun lament over erratic electricity supply ...Call on FG, State Govt. to fix bad roads

Otunba Segun Timi

The Ogun State President of Hoteliers Association of Nigeria (HAN), Otunba Segun Timi has called on the Federal Government to quickly put an end to the electricity problem in the country.

He stated this during the end-of-year party organised by the Sagamu Zonal branch of the HAN, while fielding questions from Successful People Magazine on the major problems the hotel industry was facing in the state.
He made it clear that the agonies which hoteliers were facing through the erratic power supply were too much.
Likewise, the Sagamu Zonal Chairman of the association, Olotu Omoba Taiwo Adenusi, and the Zonal General Secretary, Otunba Sunday Oyeyemi, lamented over the cost of buying fuels daily, apart from the repairing and maintenance of power generators.

"I have six generators in my hotel. You can imagine the cost of buying fuel and maintaining the generators to supply electricity 24 hours daily.
"You can also imagine the effects of this on either the costumers who will have to pay more or on us who will have to bear the burden if there is no enough patronage", Timi said.
Otunba Oyeyemi on the other hand pointed out the hazards air pollution have been causing on people's health as a result of  constant emission of carbon monoxide due to excessive use of generators in the country.
He pointed out that the hotel industry was a major employer of labour in the country, which has been contributing a lot to the economy of the nation.
He then called on the Federal Government to rescue hoteliers and millions of Nigerians from the persistent crisis in the power sector.
The state president, while listing some of the major challenges in the sector, had pointed out bad roads and multiple taxation as other things the government need to look into.
According to him, bad roads made it difficult for people to access hotels located in different parts of the state. "Go to Mowe, Ijebu Ode, Yewa area and you will see the state of our roads which government have not rehabilitated for many years.
"Multiple taxation from the federal, state and local governments have been causing a lot of headaches for us. Government needs to look into these and help us." Otunba Timi explained.
Shedding light on the hoteliers challenges, Otunba Muritala Idowu, who has been in the hotel business for over 20years, noted that the Federal Government would be helping itself economically if it makes solutions to the electricity problem its first priority in 2020.
He noted that since the nation could not experience any meaningful economic development without stable and adequate electricity supply, FG should therefore apply wisdom by solving the lingering power outage first.
If this is done, every sector of the economy would be relieved. The nation's economy would improve and this will have a great positive impact on the nation's revenue generation.