Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has overturned the revocation of a property owned by former military governor General Anthony Stephen Ukpo (Rtd). The property in question is Ogeyi Place Hotels, previously known as Le Meridien Hotels Limited, located at Plot 319, GRA Phase II, Port Harcourt.
The revocation of this property was initially enacted by the previous administration under former Governor Nyesom Wike. Reports suggested that this move was aimed at former PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar. However, the Fubara administration announced the reversal of this decision in a newspaper publication, explaining that the original revocation was “made in error.”
This decision comes amidst recent political tensions and realignments within Rivers State. In December 2022, an unconfirmed letter from Wike’s administration indicated that the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) for Ogeyi Place Hotels was revoked due to an alleged default on ground rent payment. At the time, Opunabo Inko Taria, former Media Adviser to Governor Wike, criticized the action, suggesting it was a punitive measure against the hotel for hosting a meeting of Atiku supporters.
The revocation was perceived by some as part of Wike’s political maneuvering ahead of the 2023 presidential election.