The Ebonyi State Government on Friday ordered the closure of Golden Synergy Apartments and Suites, a three-star hotel owned by a prominent state politician, for flouting urban development and physical planning regulations.
The hotel, owned by the Chairman of Ezza North, Chief Moses Ogodo-Ali, is situated at 4 Anikpe Street, off Udensi Road, Abakaliki, according to reports by The Guardian.
Officials from the Ministry of Capital City and Urban Development carried out the enforcement after receiving information that the hotel management had begun constructing an additional multi-storey building on the property without securing statutory approval.
Speaking to journalists after the operation, State Commissioner for Capital City Development, Chief Sunday Elechi Inyima, explained that while the hotel had received approval for its existing four-storey main structure, the developers had allegedly added another building in blatant violation of the state’s development control laws.
Intelligence reports, the commissioner said, indicated that the new structure had reached nearly four floors without the necessary planning permit and failed to adhere to essential development standards, including setback and parking space requirements.
“In any urban environment, only about 25 to 30 per cent of a parcel of land is expected to be built upon.
“What we have here is a situation where the entire land space has been taken up, leaving no room for parking or essential auxiliary facilities,” Inyima stated.
He described the construction as a deliberate breach of the law, emphasizing that no individual or corporate entity is allowed to erect any building in the capital city without the ministry’s final approval.
Following the discovery, the government sealed the hotel and halted further construction of the unapproved structure, ensuring all guests were evacuated to comply fully with the directive.
Inyima disclosed that the hotel management had been given two options: demolish the illegal building or purchase adjoining land to satisfy the minimum requirements for parking and other auxiliary facilities.
“The hotel remains sealed. It will not be reopened until all stipulated conditions are met. If I pass here and see this place operating again without compliance, it will be treated as a serious offence,” he warned.
The commissioner added that the hotel management had been summoned for a formal meeting with the ministry, where further decisions would be made based on submitted documents and commitments to comply.
The Ebonyi State Government reaffirmed its determination to strictly enforce planning regulations, noting that the exercise is part of a broader effort to ensure order, safety, and sustainable development in Abakaliki’s rapidly growing urban environment.
