Bishop Akhalame, candidate of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) in the September 21, 2024 governorship election in Edo State has ventured into the hospitality industry with the commissioning of the Asher City Hotel in Benin City.
The hotel, which was commissioned by Rev Father Andrew Obinyan, the Priest of St. Francis Catholic Church, Ekenwa Road, Benin City, was attended by members of the Edo State chapter of the Inter-party Advisory Council of Nigeria (IPACN), political associates, Iviukwe Community Progressives Union and friends.
In his address of welcome, Bishop Akhalame, the Chief Executive Officer of Asher City Hotel, said, he was motivated to invest in the hospitality industry as part of his efforts to provide more jobs to the youths in the state and the country.
The ZLP governorship candidate said he had been creating jobs in the past 15 years through his educational institutions.
He promised to replicate more of the hotel in Lagos, Port Harcourt, and Abuja.
“I am not just a politician but also an educationalist. I have two schools in Benin City and one in Lagos State. I also have an entrepreneurship training centre. So, I have been providing jobs for youths in the past 15 years through educational institutions. But, I am now trying to diversify into the hospitality industry.
“Politics is just a way of using our tools to make an impact in the lives of our people. So, politics is not a business. It is never a business. We went into politics because we saw a knowledge gap that we thought we could fill.
“So, even if you want to go into politics you need resources to do it, and where do you get the resources from, it is from these businesses that we have?
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“I have the mindset that the provision of jobs should not be left for governments alone, that if every one of us contributes his or her quota to create jobs in Nigeria then we will end up moving all the youths from the streets.
“I have a lot of young people in my payroll in my educational centers. With these, I have been able to put food on their tables and that of their families.
“Now, I have Asher City Hotel and very soon it will be Asher City Hotels. I will have it in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja. It is not going to be only in Edo State.
“Also very soon, we will be commissioning one at Ugbowo to bring it closer to the students of the University of Benin. We are creating job and recreational centers where everybody can get joy and happiness amid hardship in the country,” he said.
According to him, Asher Hotel is geared at providing joy and happiness for customers and also an indeed place for recreation for those seeking fun.
In his remarks while commissioning the hotel, Rev. Father Obinyan, commended Akhalame for the investment, noting that history would not fail to count him as one of those that generate employment for youths in the country.
Obinyan, who dedicated the project to the glory of God, prayed that it would not be abandoned, and also grow beyond the expectations of the proprietor.
“We thank God for the wisdom and for planting this idea in you. We know that some begin and never complete, and some complete and never inhabit. For all of these, we thank you.
“I pray for the peace of the hotel, and against anything that would bring trouble, unfortunate event, or sorrow would never take place in the hotel. Evil men and women, blood-thirsty men, and blood-sucking demons would not find habitation here. There shall be no record of death in any of the rooms,” he said.
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