ABUJA, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)-Governor of Abia State Alex Otti has revealed that discussions have reached an advanced stage with a renowned company for the construction of a 250-room five-star hotel in Umuahia, aimed at boosting tourism and business activities in the state capital.
Otti disclosed this on Friday during a civic reception held in his honour by the people of Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South Federal Constituency at the Umuahia Township Stadium.
He noted that a suitable site for the project had already been identified and that a partnership agreement would be signed over the weekend ahead of the planned groundbreaking ceremony.
“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 added that the project partners would be officially unveiled during the groundbreaking ceremony.
“It is a name that you know and a name you will be very proud of,” he said.
He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to promoting good governance and sustainable development, stressing that leadership should be anchored on service and stewardship.
“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.
Otti highlighted several ongoing projects in Umuahia, including the proposed five-star hotel, the Umuahia Township Stadium, and the Amachara Specialist Hospital.
He emphasised that his administration only embarks on projects it is confident of completing.
He said: “The transformation of Umuahia is at infant stages; 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,” Otti said.
In his remarks, the Deputy Speaker of the State Assembly, Mr Austine Mmeregini, praised the governor’s development efforts and leadership style.
Mmeregini said the Otti-led administration had demonstrated that government could indeed transform the lives of citizens.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Umuahia South Local Government Area, Mr Chinedum Enwereuzo, said the constituency had not witnessed such significant development in the past.
Enwereuzo, who spoke on behalf of the chairmen of Ikwuano and Umuahia North LGAs, assured the governor of continued support from the people.
He added that residents were ready to show appreciation for the governor’s performance through their votes in the 2027 general elections.
In separate goodwill messages, key stakeholders from the constituency, including former PDP state chairman, Chief Uzodinma Okpara; Mr Monday Ubani (SAN); and former Minister of Defence, Mr Thomas Aguiyi-Ironsi, commended the administration’s achievements in transforming the state.
They noted that the government had introduced social security support for the elderly and improved healthcare services through the renovation and upgrading of previously dilapidated health facilities.
Earlier, the Chairman of the occasion, Archbishop Chibuzo Opoko of the Methodist Church Nigeria, lauded the governor’s impactful leadership across various sectors of the state’s economy.
However, he urged Otti to sustain the momentum by executing more transformative projects in the state capital, citing the Abia International Sports Centre project.
A highlight of the event was the formal reception of a former federal lawmaker, Chief Oluchi Ibeji, along with his supporters and several defectors from other political parties into the Labour Party.
The National Secretary of the Labour Party, Sen. Darlington Nwokocha, who welcomed the new members, assured them of equal opportunities and fair treatment.
In his brief remarks, Ibeji said Otti’s purposeful leadership had renewed hope among the people of Ikwuano and Umuahia.
He also pledged to mobilise support for the governor ahead of the 2027 general elections.