REPORTER: PEACE AGBO
Governor Alex Otti of Abia state has expressed the resolve of the present administration to rewrite negative narrative of past administrations in the state.
Governor Otti gave the assurance when he commissioned the recovered and reconstructed Ovom Road in Aba and the groundbreaking ceremony for the reconstruction of the 54 years-abandoned Enyimba Hotel project.
Governor Otti not only reconstructed the Ovom road and adjoining streets but also undertook comprehensive erosion control measures to permanently arrest the environmental menace that had plagued the area.
According to the Governor, the reconstruction of the long-abandoned Enyimba Hotel, now Radisson Blu Enyimba International Hotel is a sign of the revival of Aba as a premier commercial hub in West Africa.
Governor Otti said that the project is a fulfillment of the 54-year-old vision first conceived in 1972 by the then Administrator of East Central State, late Anthony Ukpabi Asika, who proposed the seven-storey hotel as a symbol of hope and economic revival in the aftermath of the civil war.
Governor Otti announced that the first phase of the development would deliver a 120-room five-star facility alongside a world class convention centre, expressed the hope of upgrading the facility into a 250-room hospitality complex catering to local and international guests within the next four years after its completion.
In their separate goodwill messages, the representative of Aba business community, Chief Leo Okoye and the Chairman of the Board of the Greater Aba Development Authority, Ide John Udeagbala all commended the Governor for the remarkable progress in Aba and across the state, noting that within a remarkably short period, his administration has “changed the narrative of Abia”, revived economic activities and renewed investors’ confidence.
They noted that the restoration of key economic assets, including the Enyimba International Hotel, would stimulate economic growth and generate thousands of direct and indirect employment opportunities for the people.
Correspondent Peace Agbo reports that the Ovom Road, was ravaged for several years by devastating gully erosion that claimed homes, threatened livelihoods and rendered the road impassable before the intervention of Governor Alex Otti.
