Hill Station Hotel Staff Writes ‘SOS’ Letter to Lalong

Staff of the Plateau State Government owned Hill Station Hotel have written a ‘Save Our Soul’, SOS, letter to the governor, RT Hon Solomon Lalong to pay their their thirty month’s salary arrears that the government is owing them.

In the letter addressed to the governor, the workers said that their pensioners are being owed twelve months salary arrears while their retirement benefits were not computed since 2016.

The letter signed by Comrade Andrew Ikpebe and Comrade Augustine Mark Ayikam, Principal Organizing Secretary, Plateau State Council and Chairman, Plateau and Bauchi State Council, National Union of Hotels and Personal Services Workers, NUHPSW, respectively added that contributory insurance scheme to pension administrators, medical allowances, and union dues are also not paid.

The letter reads:

Rt. Hon. Dr. Barr. Simon Bako Lalong
The Executive Governor of
Plateau State

Your Excellency,
OPEN LETTER TO THE EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR OF PLATEAU STATE
“SAVE OUR SOUL (SOS)”

Hill Station Hotel is situated on the Hill Side of Jos, the Plateau State Capital, Home of Peace and Tourism. The Hotel is known all over the world, a onetime stop over place for the Queen of England because of its scenic environment.

The Hotel has 170 Rooms and a land mass that can create more rooms, recreational activities and also camp 3-5 football teams to compliment the world class stadium in the state. The Hotel was managed by the then Nigeria Hotel Ltd through the Northern Nigeria Development Company (NNDC), but now the Plateau State Government owned 75% share ownership through the Plateau Investment and Property Development Company (PIPC).
Your Excellency, the staff and the Hotel is faced with the following problems:
Retired Staff (Our Senior Citizens) owed 12months Salary Arrears and Retirement Benefits not computed nor paid since 2016 to date.

The present staff owed 30months salary arrears to date. Non-payment of contributory insurance scheme to pension administrators, medical allowances, union dues etc.

So much litigation on the Hotel, one of which was instituted by some aggrieved retired staff.

The purpose for establishing the Hotel which is to generate revenue for the state and create employment to the citizens have not been achieved.

There was a publication by the Daily Trust Newspaper dated 8th June, 2017 alleged that N250,000,000.00 (Two Hundred and Fifty Million Naira) only was injected into the Hotel by the Plateau State Government to settle staff debts and upgrade the standard of the Hotel, but we have not felt the impact of such funds.

Find attached a copy of the publication.
OUR REQUEST:
Our request Your Excellency, The Executive Governor of Plateau State, “The Rescue Administrator”, The Chairman Northern Governors Forum should use your good office to Rescue the Staff, Retirees and the Hotel from this hardship.

“To boost the tourism sector and revenue income of the state. We urge the Government to LEASE the Hotel to a private investor to enable the Hotel regain its past glory. Think Plateau, Act Plateau.”