RSHA Plans Bill On Hotel Operations

The Rivers State House of Assembly ad-hoc committee on serial killings in Port Harcourt has said it was working on a bill to strengthen hotel operation in the state, saying that any hotel that refuses to comply with the rules guiding their operation would be shut.
It would be recalled that a suspected serial killer, Gracious David-West, in his last confession released by the police, said he killed 15 girls in hotels, out of which nine were killed in Rivers and six in other states.
The Chairman of the committee, Hon Kelechi Nwogu stated this during a meeting with the state chapter of the Nigerian Hoteliers Association in Port Harcourt.
Nwogu said the House would ensure that the laws on hotels operation were implemented to the latter, noting that the meeting was designed to articulate ways to further regulate the operation of hotels in the state.
“The law we are trying to put in place does not mean we are putting pressure on you. We are trying to ensure that when it happens, we can say, yes, our hands are up, and we said this and took such action.
“We have discovered that some hotels are not taking these (measures) serious. We (Assembly) are making our recommendations. We have visited some hotels, and made private investigations. Lives are involved here.
“Nine lives were lost in Rivers State. We will not sweep it under the carpet, and that is why we called you so that we can hear from you. Now, we have heard from you,” the lawmaker added.
Earlier, the state Chairman, Nigerian Hotel Association, Eugene Nwauzi, who presented a 10-point agenda on ways to make the hotels safer, said their members would comply with any law that would make the hotels safe for customers.
Nwauzi further said, “So, we thank the Rivers State Government for the support they are giving to security agencies. However, the 10-point agenda is a basic standard operating procedure for all hotels in Rivers State.
“One of it is that there should be collaboration between security agencies and the hospitality industry in Rivers State. Secondly, with regards to our check-in and check-out procedure, we appeal to our potential guests that they should not see these measures as an embarrassment”, he added.