Hotel Owners Forum Abuja (HOFA) has resolved to admit only guests with valid means of identification in hotels as part of security measures in the Federal Capital Territory.
The president of HOFA, Dr Chike Ezeudeh, told News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Monday that the move was to checkmate criminality and terrorism in hotels in the nation’s capital.
Ezeudeh noted that identification of guests with valid means like international passport, drivers’ license and others was not strange adding that it was a global practice.
“When you get to Dubai in the Emirate, you surrender your International Passport; that is the only way to identify a guest.
“Plans are underway to legalise it. Soon, people who want to lodge in hotels will surrender their driver’s license, international passport and any other means of identification.
“When such is done, data including telephone numbers and addresses of the person will be documented just in case of eventuality, the person can be traced or his next of kin communicated,’’ Ezeudeh said.
The president said that no fewer than 235 members of the forum are law abiding and security conscious.
He implored the government to collaborate with the forum to ensure the success of security in hotels pointing out that some unpatriotic people would not want to patronise hotels because they would be identified.
Ezeudeh also urged the government to make it compulsory for all hoteliers to register with the forum before operation in the FCT for security reasons.
He described as a welcome development the recent collaboration between Interpol and Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) to checkmate criminality in hotels in the country.
The president maintained that HOFA and NTDC were partners in progress, stressing that the forum also collaborated with security agencies to ensure security of guests at the hotels.
“We do have meetings with the Nigeria Police, Directorate State Security and other security agencies.
“They train our staff; give us tips on security and use of CCTV.
“Look at the one that happened in Lagos State with Cynthia and her facebook friends which led to her death.
“The CCTV helped in the process of apprehending the culprits,’’ Ezeudeh said.
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