Why we’re converting abandoned Kaduna Governor’s Lodge into a guest house-Governor Sule

Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State, has said that his administration is converting the abandoned governor’s lodge in Kaduna, into a 16-room guest house in order to effectively utilise public resources.

Governor Sule made this known when he inspected ongoing conversion of the facility located in Unguwan Rimi, Kaduna, on Saturday.

According to the Governor, leaving the facility in it current form, as a residence for the Governor while in Kaduna, amounts to waste of resources, especially that the Northern Governors Forum meetings hold only twice or three times annually.

He told journalists shortly after inspecting ongoing work at the site that aside from converting the structure into a hotel, an entirely new structure would be erected by the side to cater for the need of the governor and other VIPs from Nasarawa State.

“I am here to be able to discuss with the contractor how soon we are going to have this. Right now, most of us Kaduna for the Northern Governors Forum meetings we end up staying in hotels. Sometimes, it is embarrassing staying in hotels that have been modernised by other states. I know there are some states that have converted residence of the governors into a more useful edifice.

“This Northern Governors Forum meetings we have them maybe twice or three times a year. It is uneconomical and wasteful for a state government to keep an entire edifice like this and say it’s just for the state governor when he comes for the meetings, similar to what we did with the VIP in Lafia.

“What is happening here is that we have demolished the original idea of having a residence just for the governor each time the governor comes. Instead, what we are having is a 16-room guest house. That will be given to somebody who will manage it economically, similar to what we did in Abuja, to become an everyday hotel. We have a lot of people who come to Kaduna these days, especially some of their investors looking for a place to stay. This will be an ideal place to stay,” he stated.

Governor Sule added that a separate new wing would be constructed to serve as residence for both the Governor and other important personalities from Nasarawa State.

“In addition to that, we also have a separate building which is starting afresh altogether, a building by the side. That new building is going to be for all the VIPs, not just the governor, that will be coming from Nasarawa State. They can stay there. That is the idea of utilising government resources instead of keeping them in a wasteful manner,” he said.

He further disclosed that the guest house, which is expected to be completed in five months, will comprise a restaurant, conference halls, and other amenities like salon, and swimming as obtained in big hotels.

Recall that the idea of building a governors lodge was initiated by the administration of the late Aliyu Akwe Doma, with the structure since left abandoned.

Governor Sule was in Kaduna to attend the NGF meeting.