The Kwara State House of Assembly is disturbed by the patronage of hotels in Ilorin by the under-age and secondary school students.
During the House plenary on Tuesday, Hon. Omotosho Rasaq moved a motion on the need to address what he called “The Unchecked Patronage And Usage Of Hotels And Pubs By Underage Persons In Ilorin Metropolis.”
The motion was seconded by Hon. Medinat Abdulraheem.
In leading the debate, Hon. Omotosho Rasaq noted that Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State, was fast-growing into a cosmopolitan city with an increase in the number of hospitality establishments, including hotels, pubs, brothels, lounges, and recreational centers.
He lamented that many of the hospitality facilities have become “frequent go-to-places by underage persons”, particularly during weekends and school holidays, since there was no any age verification or restriction mechanisms in place in such establishments.
Rasaq expressed worry that “this trend is rapidly gaining ground in areas such as Adewole, Tanke, Fate, Unity Road, Pipeline, Sango and GRA where children, some still in secondary school uniforms are frequently seen gaining access to these establishments without any restriction.”
He expressed concern that the unchecked access to such facilities exposes minors to immoral, unhealthy, and dangerous behaviours such as alcohol consumption, drug abuse, and other forms of social vices that could negatively influence their development and well-being.
He argued that “despite existing laws, the inaction of regulatory bodies such as the Kwara State Hotel and Tourism Board, the lack of coordinated enforcement by security agencies and poor parental guidance, has emboldened the perpetuity of such practices with many hotel owners and pub operators neglecting their legal and moral responsibilities in the pursuit of profit at the detriment of our social values.”
For their part, Hon. Lawal Salihu, Hon. Rukayat Shittu, Hon. Ganiyu Salahu (Omupo), and Hon. Owolabi Rasak also contributed to the motion.
In its resolution, the House of Assembly urged the state governor to direct the Ministry of Social Development and the State Hotel and Tourism Board to immediately carry out a comprehensive audit and regulatory inspection of all hotels, lounges, pub and related establishments in Ilorin metropolis.
This, the legislature said was necessary to ensure compliance with age restriction laws and as well to develop a code of conduct and compliance framework for hospitality business in the state in order to rise up to emerging challenges in the industry appropriately.
It also urged the governor to direct the Ministry of Social Development and the Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development to collaborate in sensitising parents, schools, and the public on the dangers of allowing minors access to hotels and pubs.
It called on heads of all law enforcement agencies in the state to conduct regular checks and surveillance on hospitality establishments to enforce age restrictions and penalise violators accordingly.
The House also directed its committee on Information, Youth and Sports to interface with the umbrella bodies of hotels and pubs owners with a view to fashion out ways by which the Child Rights Act and other relevant extant regulations will be strictly complied with for the good of all.
