The chairman of the Nigeria Hotel Association (NHA), Imo State chapter, Chima Chukwunyere, has formally resigned from his position with barely a year left before the expiration of his tenure.

He called on hotel owners to take rise and their proper place in the association as the legal rightful owners of NHA.

Chukwunyere made this known at the weekend in a valedictory speech he rendered during an elaborate send-forth party organised 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, pointed out that his resignation was for personal reasons, having held the office for eight (8) consecutive years.

Chukwunyere, the MD/CEO of Domino Paramount Hotel, Owerri who revealed that he joined the association in 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.

He said: ?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 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 that his efforts to correct the impression that the association does not belong to managers were vehemently opposed and resisted.

He said: ?The battle is still on even as I handed over to a new person.?

He said: 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.?

He said that history has been made because, for the 1st 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 mess, I intervened in Md 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.

He said: ?All the revenue consultants and touts who looted hotels were compelled to return them and there have been allegations and accusations from the cabals that led to two auditing?.

He advised the Directors that before they engage any manager to run their hotels they should endeavour 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 Mr Chukwunyere for his commitment while in office despite distractions and wished him 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 the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC). Represented by Engr. David Chukwuaja, Imo State Commissioner for Tourism, Barr. Jerry Egemba, represented, and numerous others. (Saturday Tribune)

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