Gov Alex Otti of Abia State have said discussions have reached an advanced stage with a company to construct a 250-room five-star hotel in Umuahia to boost tourism and business in the state capital.
Mr Otti said this on Friday during a civic reception organised in his honour by the people of Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South Federal Constituency at the Umuahia Township Stadium.
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He said the site for the facility had already been identified, adding that a partnership agreement would be signed by the weekend ahead of an imminent groundbreaking.
“I got the draft agreement, which I shall sign this weekend to bring in a partner and sign an agreement for a five-star hotel, just like we are doing in Aba with the Radisson Blu,” he said.
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The governor said the partners would be formally unveiled during the groundbreaking ceremony.
“It is a name that you know and a name you will be very proud of,” he said.
He affirmed his administration’s commitment to institutionalising good governance and sustainable development, saying that leadership must be rooted in stewardship and service to the people.
He described governance as a sacred responsibility, pointing out that his administration remained guided by public trust and divine direction.
“It is a privilege to serve our people, and I personally see leadership as service and leadership as stewardship.
“Anytime you take away stewardship from leadership, it becomes self-serving, because for us, this is about stewardship,” he said.
The governor listed key ongoing projects in Umuahia, including the proposed five-star hotel, the Umuahia Township Stadium, and the Amachara Specialist Hospital.
According to him, his administration only initiates projects it is sure to complete.
He said, “The transformation of Umuahia is at an infant stage; it is just starting, and we have clearly set out in our minds what we want Umuahia to look like.
“We are not comparing ourselves with anybody. We do not want Umuahia to look like Dubai; we want it to look like Umuahia.
“There are still a whole lot of things to do, and by the time we are done, I want to assure you that it will never be the same again,” Mr Otti said.
Praises for Otti
In his speech, the Deputy Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Austine Mmeregini, commended the governor’s developmental strides and his leadership style.
Mr Mmeregini said that the Otti-led administration had demonstrated that there was hope in the government’s ability to transform lives.
The Chairman of Umuahia South Local Government Area, Chinedum Enwereuzo, said that the constituency had never witnessed such a “massive” development.
Mr Enwereuzor, who spoke on behalf of the Chairmen of Ikwuano and Umuahia North local government areas, assured the governor of the people’s continued support.
He said that the people were poised and willing to demonstrate their appreciation for the governor’s sterling performance with their votes in 2027.
In their separate goodwill messages, major stakeholders from the constituency, including a former state Chairman of the PDP, Uzodinma Okpara, Monday Ubani (SAN) and former Minister for Defence, Thomas Aguiyi-Ironsi, praised Mr Otti’s administration’s performance in the development and transformation of Abia.
They said that the governor had introduced social security support for the elderly and improved healthcare delivery by renovating and retrofitting the hitherto dilapidated health facilities in the state.
Earlier, the Chairman of the occasion, Chibuzo Opoko, the archbishop of the Methodist Church Nigeria, paid tribute to the governor for his “transformative leadership”, which he said had left a huge impact on different sectors of the state’s economy.
Mr Opoko, however, appealed to the governor not to relent in executing more projects that would further transform the state capital, citing the Abia International Sports Centre project.
READ ALSO:2027: Abiriba people declare support for Otti
Highlights of the ceremony were the formal reception of a former federal lawmaker, Oluchi Ibeji, his supporters and many defectors from other political parties to the Labour Party (LP).
The National Secretary of LP, Darlington Nwokocha, who received the defectors, assured them of equal opportunities and fair treatment.
In a brief remark, Mr Ibeji said that Mr Otti’s purposeful leadership had restored hope to the people of Ikwuano and Umuahia.
He pledged to mobilise support for the governor in the 2027 elections.
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