Prioritize Security, Safety of Customers -Hoteliers Advised

DCOP Ken Yeboah

Owners and managers of the various hotels in Ghana have been austerely advised to prioritize the security and safety of their clients or customers to reduce the frequent occurrences of strange deaths and killings in hotel rooms.

The Northern Regional Police Commander, DCOP Mr. Ken Yeboah who gave the advice at the 8^th Biennial Conference of the Ghana Hotels Association held in Tamale recently, asserted that most of the hotels in Ghana were operating with utmost attention on only the provisions of comfortable beds, conference rooms and delicious meals without any due attempt to ensure the safety and security of their clients.

This he said had led to several killings, attacks, kidnappings and planting of secret cameras and recorders in the hotel rooms to expose private activities and conversations of some influential people in society by criminals and blackmailers.

The 8^th Biennial Conference which was under the theme: “Tourism Development Fund-Opportunities and Challenges” was attended by the various executives of the Ghana Hotels Association across the ten regions of Ghana.

DCOP Ken Yeboah who was delivering a goodwill message received the longest applauds of the day when he systematically pointed out some of the security lapses in the hospitality industry and also prescribed some solutions.

He encouraged the hotel management to be suspicious of every character that entered their facilities and give close and constant monitoring to their movement and activities to avoid any unforeseen circumstances.

Mrs. Ofosu Agyare, Tourism Minister

DCOP Yeboah cited some instances where strange people had walked into hotel receptions and inquired about certain patrons or clients and they had just been allowed or directed straight to clients’ rooms without any attempt by the management to investigate about the person. “On several occasions people walk to hotels and say I am looking for so-so and so person, and all the receptionist or management will do is to direct the person to the room without even inquiring from the customer whether or not he or she is expecting any visitor”.

The Northern Regional Police Commander also raised serious concern about how some hotel management allowed their visitors to lodge in and vacate their hotels without taking their detail information for security purposes.  

He recounted one common phenomenon in Ghana in recent time where some criminals and fraudulent people secure or rent hotels to transact fake businesses or swindle credulous people with millions of cedis and dollars and ran away without any traces or credible information from the hotel management.

Somewhere last month, Ghana recorded another very horrible incident when a pregnant British wife of a pastor was found dead in the bathtub of the couple's hotel after they visited Ghana for a prayer meeting.

Mrs. Charmain Adusah, 41, from South Wales, was said to have been discovered four days after she died, wrapped in a towel and lying face down in a bath by staff at the hotel and as a result, her husband, Eric Isaiah Adusah, an evangelical preacher was arrested by the Ghanaian police on suspicion of murdering Mrs. Adusah.

Mr Adusah is a self-proclaimed prophet and leader of Global Light Revival Ministries Church, based in Tottenham, north London, which also has branches in Edinburgh and Manchester.