The Save The Nation Movement (STNM) has called for immediate and
thorough investigations of the running of the Akwa Ibom Icon Hotel.
The group said it was in possession of various documents, suggesting
an alleged financial impropriety by Mr. Fred Maina, who is the
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the hotel.
Rising from its meeting in Abuja on Thursday evening, the STNM
National Secretary, Comrade Stevens Chilaka, said in a statement that
the Board of Directors of the Ibom Icon Hotel must carry out its
responsibility of sanitizing the management and its operations or
have anti-corruption agencies wade in.
The statement read; “As concerned group of well-meaning Nigerians, who
are dedicated to ensuring transparency in the conduct of affairs of
businesses, whether public or private, and who have never shied away
from raising concerns on issues we feel require further
interrogations, we are concerned and bothered by the feelers we are
getting from the Ibom Icon Hotel concerning the trust deficit between
the owners of the Hotel, and the Management, led by Mr Fred Maina.
“We have been reliably informed that ever since the Management Service
Agreement (MSA) was signed between the Hotel owners and the group led
by a Kenyan National, Frederick Maina, there have been blatant cases
of financial improprieties, maltreatment of Akwaibomites in the employ
of the hotel, lack of adherence to the terms of the agreement and
other serious financial improprieties.
“For instance, sometime last year, Mr. Marina, travelled to Kigali,
Rwanda and was said to have hosted six Kenyan government officials and
charged the bill to the hotel. The hosting of these officials had
nothing to do with the trip he had undertaken.This unauthorized trip
to Rwanda was about a business proposal the management already
evaluated and concluded as having no value to the Hotel.
“Also, there was a purchase of over $23,000 from an unlicensed
operator, who ended up scamming the hotel.
“Other infractions are indiscriminate use of the hotel by unauthorized
guests, which cost the Hotel revenue loss of over N50 million and plan
to raise over N5 billion for the Hotel’s renovation already estimated
to cost less than N3 billion.
“The Manager was also said to not receive approvals of the Owner on
Reimbursable Expenses.
“All these and many others are what are well documented and the onus
is on the Board to carry out proper investigations with a view to
bringing those found to have defrauded the hotel and the people of
Akwa Ibom State to book.
“We hereby, request that because of these weighty allegations and
obvious cases of fraud that has been established, that an Independent
External Auditor should immediately be appointed to look into the
books of the Hotel.
“Ibom Icon Hotel is a pride of Akwa Ibom State in particular and
Nigeria as a whole, we demand that the hotel be run with utmost
transparency on the part of the Managers and the interest of the
people of Akwa Ibom State.”
