Imo NHA chairman resigns, bemoans indiscipline, sabotage
By Athan Agbakwuru, Owerri
The Chairman of Nigeria Hotel Association, (NHA), Imo State Chapter, Mr. Chima Chukwunyere, has formally announced his resignation from the position, barely one year to the expiration of his tenure; with a call on hotel owners to rise and take their proper place in the association as the legal rightful owners of NHA.
Chukwunyere made this known Wednesday in a valedictory speech he rendered during an elaborate send-forth party organized in his honour by the association at the City Cruz Hotel and Suites, New Owerri.
The chairman who preferred to be addressed as ‘Chief Servant’ of Imo NHA, disclosed that he will be clocking 70 years this coming December and pointed out that his resignation was for personal reasons, having held the office for eight consecutive years.
Chukwunyere, the MD/CEO of Domino Paramount Hotel, Owerri who revealed that he joined the association late 1979 noted with utmost dismay that the greatest challenge facing the association has been the leadership tussle between the Directors and Managers of hotels.
According to him, the nagging power tussle left the leadership in the hands of the managers for many decades and promoted mediocrity, impunity, recklessness and in-fighting among other vices in NHA.
His words, “The biggest challenge of the association is leadership, and that is why the leadership stayed in the hands of our managers for decades. I came into office in March 2017, after the demise of the former Chairman.
“I inherited N88.00, gross indiscipline, recklessness, conspiracy against MDs, insult, false accusations/allegations, and sabotage from some managers who call themselves cabals.”
Recounting his experience as the head of the association for nearly a decade, Chukwunyere added, “My efforts to correct the impression that the association does not belong to our managers were vehemently opposed and resisted, and the battle is still on even as I handed over to a new person.
“My eight years of leadership was stormy all through by two deadly squads, the Cabals and the revenue touts. In all fronts, the power of my Lord prevailed for me.
“The Nigeria Hotel Association, the Imo chapter, belongs to hotel owners only, and the Directors are allowed to send their representatives if they are not available. This is contained in
ARTICLE 7A in respect to full membership of the Association.
“History has been made today because, for the first time, a serving Chief Servant stepped down and is sent forth in this manner.
“We have resisted revenue touts from invading our hotel, and succeeded in protecting our members from unnecessary extortion. I intervened in the Directors and their managers issues, and God won the battle.
“My threats to shut down hotels in December 2020 compelled the governor to disengage all the revenue consultants and tout, and in September 2022, the governor invited me for a meeting to avoid the second shutdown.
“All the revenue consultants and touts who looted hotels were compelled to return them. There have been allegations and accusations from the cabals that led to two auditing.
“My advice to Directors is that before they engage any manager to run their hotels they should endeavor to carry out background checks with the association to determine if the person’s conduct in their previous hotels is good enough.”
Responding, the acting chairman of Imo NHA, Chief Josephat Esomonu Nwosu, applauded his predecessor for the numerous achievements recorded under his watch and wished him better days ahead.
Several hotel owners and other dignitaries who graced the occasion poured encomiums on the outgoing Chairman for his commitment while in office despite distractions and wished well in future endeavours.
In his goodwill message, Mr. Frank Nneji, the MD/CEO of Mayfair Suites and Rapido Ventures Owerri, congratulated Chukwunyere for a remarkably successful tenure in spite of the daunting challenges he faced.
Nneji used the occasion to clarify that the Nigeria Hotel Association, NHA, is exclusively a body for the owners of hotels, not managers as erroneously insinuated in the past and advised Directors to prioritize growth and progress of the association henceforth.
The event attracted several dignitaries namely; Hon. Henry Igbomezie, Chief Ifeanyi, the Commissioner of Police, State Director of DSS, FRSC Commandant, the National Chairman of Police Community Relations Committee, PCRC. represented by Engr. David Chukwuaja, Imo State Commissioner for Tourism, Barr. Jerry Egemba, represented, and numerous others.
