By Chibuike Nwabuko
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – Human rights lawyer and public affairs commentator, Chidi Odinkalu, has called on the Enugu State Government to correct what he described as a historical misrepresentation at the recently rehabilitated Hotel Presidential in Enugu.
Odinkalu, in a statement posted on his X handle @ChidiOdinkalu, commended the state government for its efforts in restoring the iconic hospitality facility, noting that the rehabilitation project has returned the hotel to public use after years of decline.
However, he expressed concern over a prominent painting of Governor Peter Mbah displayed in the hotel, which he said presents the governor as the individual who built the establishment.
According to Odinkalu, the hotel was not built by Governor Mbah or the current administration but by the late Michael Iheonukara Okpara during his tenure as Premier of the old Eastern Region.
He recalled that Okpara built two Hotel Presidential facilities—one in Enugu and another in Port Harcourt—as part of his developmental initiatives in the region.
While acknowledging that the Enugu hotel had fallen into disuse for some time and that the present administration deserves recognition for restoring it, Odinkalu stressed the importance of preserving historical accuracy.
He warned against what he termed the erasure of history and urged the state government to replace the current display with a suitable portrait of Dr. Okpara, whom he said rightfully deserves credit as the original builder of Hotel Presidential.
“Fidelity to historical record needs to be preserved. Hotel Presidential was built by Dr. Michael Okpara,” Odinkalu stated, adding that the government should “do the right thing” by ensuring that the legacy of the former Eastern Region premier is properly acknowledged.
