BY SUNNY A. DAVID
The Anambra State Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, Culture and Tourism, has commenced inspection tour to various hotels in the State.
The inspection which kicked off from Don Ritz Hotel down to Groove Pack Udoka Estate, and terminated at De Santos Hotel Awka, is to stop illegal operation of some hotels and to achieve standardization in their practice.
The Ministry embarked on the inspection with some Federal and State government’s regulatory agencies including Standard Organization of Nigeria, SON, Ministry of Environment, and Anambra State Fire Service among others.
Speaking on the inspection visit, the leader of the team and the Acting Director, Hotel and Hospitality, Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, Mrs. Stella Anah, said that some hotels are working illegally without been registered.
She noted that the inspection and audition of hotels and it’s facilities will help entrench accepted standard and international best practices, adding that after the inspection, those who do not ensure compliance will be shut down.
The Project Director on Consolidated Alliance and a Consultant to the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, Mr. Chidi Kalu, said that the inspection will enable the Ministry to have a data base of all hotels operating in the state, noting that the exercise will benefit hoteliers as it will attract more customers to them.
Earlier, personnel from Standard Organization of Nigeria, Doctor Romanus Isife, harped on the need for every hotel in the state to have trained and qualified personnel for its growth and development.
In their responses, the Managers of Don Ritz and De Santos hotels, Miss Ngozi Iloabonafor and Mr. Elochukwu Ezeibenne, thanked Anambra government for verifying and checking the hospitality industries in the state.
At the end of the exercise, certificate of registration was issued to the hoteliers.
