Jonathan Laments Abandoned Hotel Projects in Bayelsa

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed concern over the abandonment of several hotel projects he initiated in Bayelsa State before becoming Vice President in 2007.

Speaking at the Stern Plus Hotel in Yenagoa, Jonathan said the projects were aimed at boosting tourism and attracting investment to the state, but were neglected by successive administrations.

“When a governor leaves office, the next governor doesn’t want to follow up, and most of the money spent goes to waste,” he said, describing the trend as a major source of waste in governance.

Jonathan recalled that his administration invested heavily in the hospitality sector to make Yenagoa more appealing to visitors, particularly during the Africa Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), which Bayelsa hosted at the time.

“During the first AMAA event, most international guests stayed in Port Harcourt because Bayelsa had no suitable hotels,” he noted. “So we supported local hoteliers with loans of between N10 million and N15 million to upgrade their facilities. But after I left office, nobody refunded the money, and the initiative died.”

He added that his government also awarded contracts for the construction of three major hotels, including the Tower Hotel and two three-star facilities, which were never completed.

“If those hotels had been completed, visitors to Bayelsa today would have comfortable places to stay,” Jonathan said. “Unfortunately, after I left, even those I mobilised failed to deliver.”