Former President Jonathan Criticises Successors for Abandoning Major Projects He Started

• Former president Goodluck Jonathan lamented that most of his projects as Bayelsa governor were abandoned after he left office to become vce president
• Jonathan recalled his efforts to boost tourism in Yenagoa through hotel development and private investment during his administration
• Governor Douye Diri hailed the newly commissioned Best Western Plus Hotel as a milestone project that will strengthen Bayelsa’s hospitality sector

Former president Goodluck Jonathan has lamented that most of the projects he initiated as governor of Bayelsa state were abandoned after he assumed the office of vice president under the late president Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.

Speaking at the commissioning of the Best Western Plus Hotel, a luxury hospitality facility at Oxbow Lake in Yenagoa on Wednesday, October 15, Jonathan said a major challenge of governance in Nigeria is the tendency of incoming governors to discard ongoing projects started by their predecessors, Daily Trust reported.

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Jonathan laments abandonment of Bayelsa legacy projects

He commended the management of Best Western Plus for investing in Bayelsa, describing it as a positive step toward boosting the state’s hospitality and tourism appeal.

Jonathan recalled his efforts as governor to promote tourism and private investment in Yenagoa, noting that one of his priorities then was to develop the city into a destination that could host international visitors.

He said:

“As a first elected deputy governor of Bayelsa State, Governor then, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, started hosting African Movie award ceremonies that people from America, South Africa and others were coming, actors and actresses, it’s was a world event, you know all these celebrities, they live sort of fantastic life and the first edition hosted, most of the external guests stayed in Port Harcourt, because there was no hotel that you could see in Bayelsa state.

He added that:

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“The idea of a state in encouraging tourism is for tourists to spend their foreign money in the state to stimulate the local economy, so if the state is to spend on the programme that bring people all over the world and then the money will be spent in other states, that is a negative investment.

He continued that:

“So when I took over as the governor, then there were a quite some small small hotels in Yenagoa, and we cannot build a three star hotel overnight, let us give some little money for our hotels to improve, but they supposed to pay back, and we gave money up to N10, N15 million to a number of people, but because I left, nobody return any money to anybody.

“So when we wanted to host again, we quickly award contracts to build three hotels, the tower hotel and two three star hotels, if they have done these three hotels, by now visitors coming to Bayelsa State would have have comfortable place to stay, but somehow when I left, even people I mobilized, we didn’t see what they did.

“That is the problem of government, when governor leaves, the next governor don’t want to follow up, most of those money spent will go,” he concluded

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The Executive Director of Best Western Plus Hotel, Mrs. Initeme Aduke-Eromhonsele, and the founder, Dr. Harcourt Aduke, described the facility as a fusion of elegance, comfort, and modern convenience. They added that the hotel’s lakefront view of the Oxbow Lake provides a serene atmosphere for guests.

Governor Douye Diri, in his remarks, applauded the establishment of the hotel as a significant addition to Bayelsa’s hospitality landscape. He said the project would create jobs for young people, boost tourism, and contribute to the state’s economic growth.

Former president Jonathan told to step aside

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the national coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Dr Yunusa Tanko, had called on former president Goodluck Jonathan to throw his weight behind Peter Obi’s presidential ambition ahead of the 2027 general election.

Speaking on Trust TV’s Daily Politics, Tanko said Jonathan owed Obi political support, recalling that the former Anambra state governor was the only state leader who stood firmly with him during moves to remove him from office.

Proofreading by Funmilayo Aremu, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng