The Abia State Government has announced plans to convert the newly constructed Government House into a five-star hotel. This was revealed by the Commissioner of Information in Abia State, Okey Kanu, during a tour of the facility with reporters. The new Government House, located at Ogurute Layout in Umuahia, was commissioned on May 28, 2023, by the administration of the former governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, just a day before the end of his tenure. The project was inherited from his predecessor, Theodore Orji, who had completed it up to the roofing stage.

Current Governor Alex Otti had been operating from his country home outside Umuahia, leading to questions about the use of public properties and raising financial concerns. PREMIUM TIMES reported that the governor's decision resulted in approximately N2 million spent monthly on fuel for state officials traveling to his village for meetings. In light of these concerns, the current administration has decided to repurpose the new Government House.

Commissioner Kanu described the new Government House as "uninhabitable and a security risk." He claimed the structure was not fully completed and was hastily inaugurated by the previous administration to create a false impression of accomplishment. Kanu stated that the building lacks essential facilities and questioned its design, suggesting it was unsuitable as a governor's residence. He also alleged that only the first floor was completed, with the remaining floors unfinished and the elevator uninstalled. However, video evidence published by PREMIUM TIMES contradicted some of these claims.

The Commissioner also revealed that Governor Otti has directed the construction of a new Government House at the site of the old Government House. He defended the decision to convert the new Government House into a hotel, stating that it would prevent the waste of state resources and would benefit the state economically. Kanu also disputed the previous administration's claim that the old Government House was a rented property, asserting that it was duly acquired by the state government and that officials were wrongly paying themselves rent from public funds.