Jonathan criticizes successors for abandoning Bayelsa development projects

‎Former President Goodluck Jonathan has condemned the neglect of several key hotel projects he initiated as Bayelsa State governor, blaming successive administrations for letting his development efforts go to waste.
‎He made the remarks during the inauguration of the Best Western Plus Hotel in Yenagoa on Wednesday.
‎
‎Jonathan emphasized that prior to becoming Vice President in 2007, his administration launched several hotel projects to boost tourism and investment in Bayelsa. He lamented that after he left office, these projects were abandoned, describing the failure to follow up as a major governance problem leading to wasted funds.
‎
‎During his tenure, Jonathan recalled that many international visitors to the Africa Movie Academy Awards stayed in Port Harcourt due to a lack of suitable hotels in Yenagoa. To address this, his government provided loans of N10 million to N15 million to local hoteliers for upgrades. Unfortunately, he said, the funds were never refunded, and the initiative collapsed.
‎
‎Contracts for three major hotels, including the Tower Hotel and two three-star facilities, were awarded but never completed. Jonathan expressed disappointment that even those mobilized by his administration had not advanced the projects.
‎
‎Governor Douye Diri praised the launch of the Best Western Plus Hotel, a global brand affiliate, as a welcome development that would invigorate the hospitality sector, create jobs, and attract private investment to Bayelsa. He urged the people of Bayelsa  to emulate the hotel’s founder, Dr. Harcourt Adukeh, by investing in the state to promote sustainable growth.
‎
‎