The Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) and the Hotel Owners Forum of Abuja (HOFA) are to introduce new security measures in hotels in Abuja and other parts of the country to stem the increasing rate of criminal activities in the industry.The measures were unveiled last Wednesday by the Director- General, NTDC, Chief Olusegun Runsewe, when he played host to executive members of the Hotel Owners Forum at the Tourism Village, Abuja.The platform, which was used to address several key issues affecting hotel and hospitality industry in Nigeria, featured the issue of security as its focal point, with Chief Runsewe proffering the biometric system of identification as a final solution to the challenge as practised the world over.According to Runsewe, A biometric system of identification will be put in hotels across the country to capture the identity of visitors checking into hotels, while the NTDC will serve as the central data base.The NTDC boss explained that the measure would also include workers personal information, and be stored in a central data base stating that such records would come in handy in the event of any staff absconding. Runsewe said this was important , given the wave of rising insecurity in hotels across the country which had been affecting the industry negatively.Chief Runsewe expressed appreciation to the HOFA executives for the encomiums poured on NTDC in its efforts so far, adding that he was extremely impressed with the leadership of the immediate past president of HOFA, Chief Tonni Akingbogun, while appealing to the new executives to sustain the impetus.On the issue of classification and grading of hotels, the NTDC helmsman assured that the execise would commence in line with international best practices, but further explained that hotels must be registered first and that the process of grading alone would cost N3 billion which, according to him, was a lot of money.Runsewe also berated hotels without signposts, stating that they were a haven for fraudsters to perpetrate criminal activities at times with the collusion of owners of such unidentifiable hotels thus, warning that relevant government security agencies had been duly engaged and consequently, were on the trail of such hotels.We have given the names of 75 hotels without signposts to government security agencies and, as we speak, they are investigating them.Speaking on the issue of multiple taxes on hotels, Chief Runsewe insisted that the trend must be reversed, adding that rather, hotels should even be given tax rebate as they contributed immensely to the countrys economy. He said the hotel and hospitality industry was a major revenue earner, while helping to reduce crime and unemployment as a major job provider.Corraborating the NTDC initiative, the HOFA president, Hotel Owners Forum of Abuja, Mr. Onofiok Ekong said, We want to work with NTDC and other tiers of government to guarantee peace and security, with emphasis on a preventive rather than a reactive approach.We are planning and insisting on proper identification of guests using our hotels. With the availability of a credible voters card, every guest will, very soon, be required to show either voter card or internationally accepted travel documents at the point of checking into our hotels. If need be, we shall seek legal backing on this policy from the National Assembly through NTDC.Other issues addressed in the course of the meeting include the charge of 7.5 million annually on hotels and guest houses in residential areas by the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, which the HOFA executives described as exorbitant, contraventing charges, stating that, We are not against regulation of hotels.It is the regulation of the supportive services that determines the location of hotels all over the world.Lamenting further, Mr. Ekong said, we need a law regulating these bed and breakfast services in our country and not contraventing charges. Such charges are becoming gruesome and heart-aching.We do not have to wait till all other states are ready. We guarantee you our cooperation in this regard.
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