by Christiana Gokyo, Jos
The 82 years’ old Hill Station Hotel Jos has been abandoned. This used be one the best hotels in town, that even the first meeting of Nigeria’s Independence by the Queen of England was held there.
The Jos Hill Station Hotel was established in 1938; then Gold-mine, strategically placed within the town – where almost everyone will love stay.
But, since January 4th, 2021 to date, all the workers have been on strike action and nothing has been done about it. Our correspondent gathered that, before the strike, about 32 months’ salaries were still arrears of payment.
Investigation revealed that, the hotel has about 350 staffs, but some were retired, leaving over 50, and the strike action is about 3 years’ old now.
It was also gathered that the hotel was formerly run by the New Nigeria Development Company (NNDC), but during the Governor Jonah David Jang’s administration, he acquired the largest shares – of 76.5 percent – from the NNDC for Plateau State Government. NNDC has 22 percent shares, Nasarawa State has 1 percent shares and Benue also has 1 percent shares.
So, the Plateau State Government has the largest shares of the hotel. This means, it ‘belongs’ to the Plateau State Government.
It was said that, the Governor Simon Lalong administration renovated the hotel, in 2016-2017, and was about leasing it out as promised by the regime, but to no avail.
Middle-Belt News Networks gathered that, the Plateau Investment and Property Company (PIPC) is the one running the hotel, but there is nothing to show for it.
Meanwhile, no activities are running in the hotel, but security personnel are living in the hotel to secure the premises; if not, it could have been vandalized by hoodlums and properties would have been removed.
It is hoped that, the Government of Caleb Mutwang will do something drastically to revamp the place so as to gain more revenue to the state and employment to its citizenry, as the revamping of the Hill Station Hotel will equally help in improving the economic growth of the state.
Investigation further revealed that, right now, the retirees and staffs of the hotel have all gone to court for non-payment of their salaries and gratuities, which is also not good for the image of the State Government.
It could be recalled that during May Day celebration of 2023, the NLC Chairman Plateau State, Comdr. Eugene Manji, called on government to pay the over 50 months’ salary arrears and allowances for Hill Station Hotel Jos workers and also for the reopening of the hotel to members of the public.
We hope and pray that the Mutfwang administration would look into the situation of the Hill Station Hotel, which is one of the most foremost hotels in Jos, and is well secured in the heart of the state capital, located side-by-side with the Operation Safe Haven (OPSH).
Some well-meaning, concerned citizens of the state have called on the Plateau State Government to come to the aid of the hotel and reopen it to enable business to flow, so as to enhance revenue generating to the state.