Staff picket Kwara hotel over arrears

Staff of Kwara Hotels on Thursday in Ilorin protested eight months’ salary arrears owed them by the state government.

The staff, who defied the rain, picketed the company and locked out other shop owners in the premises.

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Carrying placards, the staff accused Harmony Holdings – which manages the hotel on behalf of the state government – of being insensitive to their plight.

One of the protesters, Mohammed Ibrahim, said they had held several meetings with the government but that nothing came out of them.

He further said, “The worst culprit is the General Manager (GM) of Harmony Holdings, Mr Abdullahi AbdulMajeed, who has practically grounded the place,” adding that, “They should pay us our arrears.”

Another staff member, Comrade Isa Kolawole, said out of the 172 rooms in the hotel, less than 50 were habitable for guests.”

The Human Resources Manager and acting GM of the hotel, Mr Salami Mashood, said, “This is the worst situation we actually did not want to happen.

“The salaries are now going to eight months and still counting. Although we were promised that the government will do something about it, nothing has been done yet.”

In a telephone chat, the GM of Harmony Holdings, AbdulMojeed, told City & Crime that the problem was inherited from the mismanagement of the facility by the previous administration.

He said Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq had approved the payment of the entire arrears and was about to complete the concession of the property to return it to its four-star status.

He added that, “Hopefully by next week they should get their money.”