Date: 2017-01-29

A fire incident has destroyed property worth over N10 million at the Kwara Government-owned property, Patigi Regatta Motel in Patigi, Patigi Local Government Area of the state. The Managing Director of the Motel, Alhaji Abdulkadir Mustapha-Rifun, who conducted newsmen round the motel on Saturday, expressed shock over the incidence. He described it as a setback to his efforts toward giving the edifice a face-lift.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the motel was leased out to Rifun River Investment in 2013 for effective operation. The managing director, who attributed the cause of the fire to power surge, said the fire incident affected all the section of the motel already renovated.

He explained that his decision to take over the property was borne out of the desire to complement the developmental efforts of the government. He explained that the management of the motel would require between N15 and N20 million to give the motel a face-lift.

Mustapha-Rifun appealed to the state government to intervene with relief and incentive to assist in realising the mandate of putting the state's property into a modern status and judicious use. Ten of the twenty-five rooms in the motel were seriously damaged Reacting to the development, the immediate past state Head of Service, Alhaji Dabarako Muhammad sympathised with the owner, describing the incident as unfortunate.

Alhaji Muhammad, who is from the community, said he was a member of the State Government Committee that lease the property, pointed out that the fire incident is a setback to the community and the state government.