During a tour of Osogbo, SaharaReporters discovered that most of the rooms in these hotels were being hoarded by their management in other to jack up the prices and take advantage of the influx of people into the city ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.
Visitors to Osogbo, the Osun state capital, are currently struggling to secure decent accommodation, as virtually all hotels in the city have been booked, mean the prices of the few available ones are inflated.
During a tour of Osogbo, SaharaReporters discovered that most of the rooms in these hotels were being hoarded by their management in other to jack up the prices and take advantage of the influx of people into the city ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.
A visit by Sahara Reporters to Gibkoms Diamond Hill Hotels, Leisure Spring Hotel, Prime Gold Hotel, Balinga Hotel, Osun Capital Hotel and a few others revealed that the these hotels were either fully booked or the prices were exorbitant.
At Prime Gold Hotel, a single room, which normally costs N7,500, now goes for 8,000 minimum or up to as high as N12000.
“They have all been booked. You know it is election period. People are coming through the state. No room at all,” the management told SaharaReporters upon arrival.
When asked by Sahara Reporters if the hotel management could help in getting another hotel within the state capital, they expressed disappointment, saying all hotels in the state has been filled.
The situation at Osun Capital hotel was the same, although the receptionist disclosed that the only available room had no form of lighting. Therefore, anyone who chose to occupy such a room would be left in the dark when night falls.
Speaking with SaharaReporters, the receptionist, who asked not to be named, said: “There is election so everything has been occupied. Our room remains only one, everything has been occupied.
“People are too many, people from this state and other states. Since last week Monday, the rooms have been booked. After the election things will change back to normal.”
It was also discovered that politicians in the state were the main cause of the scarcity, most of them booking hotel rooms weeks back for the pleasure of party members and supporters coming to the state for the elections.