Lagos Prosecutes Errant Hotel Owners

The Lagos Government has begun the prosecution of owners of hotels and hospitality establishments in the state for failing to comply with the provisions of the State’s Hotel Licensing law.

Eight hotels in Victoria Island and Ikoyi were arraigned before the Igbosere Magistrate’s Court 3, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, on Tuesday by the state government for failing to comply with the provisions of the law.

The Federal and Lagos State Governments are currently embroiled in a running battle at the Supreme Court as to which controls licensing of hotels and hospitality business in Lagos, with the state government insisting that the federal government did not have the right to claim ownership of hotels not in its domain.

The hotels brought before Magistrate F.O. Aigbbokhaevbo yesterday on two-count charge each are Biscordint Travel Agency Limited,  Four Points By Sheraton Limited, Chilloville Hotel Limited, Hotel Bon Voyage Limited, Radision Blue Anchorage Hotel Limited, Chesney Hotel Limited, Moorhouse Sofitel Hotel Limited and Protea Hotel Westwood Limited. The hotels were charged on a two-count charge, the first of which is operating hotel in the Lagos Magisterial District without license granted by the appropriate authority contrary to section 4 (1) of the Hotel Licensing Law of Lagos State, 2010 Cap H6, thus committing an offence punishable under section 21 of the law.

The second count charge is that the hotels knowingly declined to comply with the provision of the Hotel Licensing Law of Lagos State, Cap H6 in carrying out hotel business on the Island.

However, the case against Protea Hotel Westwood Limited, Radision Blue Ahchorage Hotel Limited, Hotel Bon Voyage Limited, Biscordint Travel Agency Limited had their case struck out on ground that they had complied with the provisions of the law.

One of the hotels, Chilloville Hotel Limited did not appear in court and the magistrate ordered a warrant to be issued the defendant to be brought to court in the next adjournment date, while in the case of Four Points By Sheraton Limited, its lawyer proposed out of court settlement while the case was adjourned till 7 February, 2013.

The state government’s prosecutor, Lawal Pedro said it is an offence under the hotel law for an operator of a hotel or other tourism establishment to carry out any such business in Lagos without a license, saying that penalties for not complying included fines and terms of imprisonment.

He urged operators of hotels in the state who were yet to comply with the provisions of the law to do so, saying that it is mandatory for all owners of hotels and hospitality establishment to register before doing business. The state government had recently blacklisted hundreds of hotels and hospitality establishments for not being registered and breaching the provisions of the law and ordered all government ministries, departments and agencies not to do business with such establishments.

—Kazeem Ugbodaga