Investor, Randie Ukanwoko Alleges How Abia Govt Demolished Abia Hotels Over Hosting of Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda Event
The Abia State Government on Saturday 29/11/25, began the demolition of Abia Hotels Ltd., Umuahia, a facility built and managed by a private investor under a valid 25-year lease agreement with the state.
Barr. Randie Ukanwoko, whose company, Investment Guarantee Ltd., constructed and manages the hotel, narrated to journalists on phone from his hospital bed in the United States that the crisis began soon after he joined the APC. He recalled that some government officials called him to ask him why he chose to join the APC instead of their own party knowing that he is handling an asset that belonged to the government of which he told them that he has a right to associate and to make his own decisions.
A few weeks there after, he was invited by a team led by the General manager of Umuahia Capital Development Authority (UCDA), Kingsley Agomuo, for the review of the Lease Agreement between his company and Abia State Government. He obliged and supplied them with all the relevant documents they requested.
A few weeks later, he was invited to another meeting and was told that the Governor has decided to recover the property insisting that he wants to build a 5 star hotel there. He sought to know why and was told to find out from the Governor whose instructions they were acting on.
He wrote to the Governor severally requesting for an audience but was denied though he read the messages. When it became obvious that he had no choice, he obliged and advised them to be guided by the terms of the Development Lease Agreement which granted his company 25 years binding and duly registered contract which contains among several provisions Viz: 1. A refund of his investment should the government wish to take over at any time before the expiration of his 25 years binding tenure provided it was confirmed by a credible valuation company. 2. 40% equity holding after the lease period. Consequently, they engaged one Mr Ahaoma Ucheagwu. After he submitted his report, they summoned him to a meeting where they made a ridiculous offer of 150m. He asked to see the valuation report but was denied. He said that he could not negotiate blindly and subsequently engaged Mr Jide Taiwo and Co, who valued his fixed assets to a forced sale value of #708m.
Based on this report they moved their offer to 450m but he refused and sought to see the Governor for further clarification on the status of his 40% holding but he was denied. He also specifically pleaded that the entire transaction be strictly confidential for his safety and that of his family, as well as, a period of 6 months to enable him reinvest into another hotel so as to retain the trust of his creditors and also accommodate the 52 work force most of whom are students of Michael Okpara and Abia state Universities as well as, 8 NYSC members who were passing out in March next year. He also pleaded to be allowed to carry out December activities since most customers have paid since several months in the past. They requested for time to pass his requests to the Governor for approval. As it was taking a long time for the Governor’s response which was seriously affecting his trip to Houston Texas on medical ground and his hospital was issuing threats about his negligence to show up for his review, he wrote UCDA to notify them of his intention to proceed, leaving a contact number to be reached and nominating his lawyer Barr. Martin Okereafor to represent him should the need arise. To the best of his knowledge, there was an appreciable cordiality in the negotiation until the Hon. Benjamin Kalu, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, hosted President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Partners program on the hotel premises.
According to Ukanwoko, three of his kinsmen who serve in Governor Alex Otti’s administration called him late at night shortly after the event and sought to know why he allowed the venue to be used for the Tinubu aligned program and that Rt. Hon. Benjamin kalu is the No1 enemy of the state.
He said he explained that Abia Hotels is a public business facility open to all customers who pay the stipulated charges, adding that Rt. Hon. Kalu paid ₦500,000 for the event. He reminded them that even during Otti’s years in the opposition, he was given access to host his political programs in the same hotel without harassment.
They told him that the Governor was very unhappy at Exco over the incident. Later that day, the Commissioner for Information released a highly injurious article where he described the hotel “as moribond, dilapidated and derelict project on the verge of being recovered by the government. We quickly issued a rebuttal.
Three days later, Ukanwoko received a call from Kingsley Agomuo inviting him to a mandatory meeting by 3pm the following day on the instructions of the Governor. He reminded him that he was not in Nigeria. He told him to direct his lawyer to represent him. At the meeting, the lawyer met correspondents of 6 media companies with camera men. Upon inquiry, he was told that the Governor has decided to pay him immediately so as to hand over and vacate the premises immediately. That the event was to be covered by the media outfits. He told them that it was outside his instructions and left.
He was re invited and apologized to. He was persuaded to write an application for the payment of 450m to Barr. Randie Ukawoko’s personal account.They promised to appeal to the Governor to upwardly review the amount. He obliged but refused to execute any agreement in lieu of the purported payment.
Two days later, McDonald Uba called him and informed him that there was some money (₦450m) approved for him by the Governor as compensation for his investment in Abia Hotel on condition that he MUST open an account with Signature Bank Umuahia. He told him that the lease document did not talk about compensation but a refund and his money is way above that amount. Later in the evening, the Manager of Signature bank, Jonathan Obileye, called him with the same information and he bluntly rejected his demands. To his shock, they went ahead and deposited the money into his account without him executing any agreement.
Two days after, they started threatening him to vacate the property within 48 hours. In consequence, he approached the court and served them duly and effectively. The matter is scheduled for hearing on Tuesday, 2/12/25. Last week Saturday, they came to the hotel and sealed it with the state vigilante men (Bakasi boys) and chased away all the guests including a lady who was to have a wedding in one of the tents. They barred all his staff from assessing the premises since then causing the company loss of a lot of valuable properties due to this inhuman action.
On Friday McDonald Uba, the SA on Security to Abia state government came to inform his security men who converged outside the compound that the Governor had instructed them to demolish the hotel with all the properties inside. This wicked machination was carried out on Saturday As they were doing this, a man was busy assembling all the Air-conditioners insisting that McDonald had agreed with him to buy them because the Governor has paid for it. There is no where in the world where movable assets are included in valuation of fixed investment.
As demolition is still ongoing this morning, Ukanwoko still recovering from major surgery abroad made a distress call to “good-spirited Nigerians,” insisting his only offence was allowing the Deputy Speaker to use the premises for the launch of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The incident has sparked outrage across Abia State and beyond, with many branding it a ruthless abuse of executive power, a direct attack on political pluralism, and a dangerous precedent for property rights under the Otti administration.
