Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has announced that discussions have reached an advanced stage with a renowned firm for the construction of a 250-room five-star hotel in Umuahia, aimed at boosting tourism and business in the state capital.
Speaking on Friday during a civic reception organised in his honour by the Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South Federal Constituency at the Umuahia Township Stadium, Mr Otti disclosed that the site for the facility had already been identified. He added that a partnership agreement would be signed this week, ahead of an imminent groundbreaking ceremony.
“I received the draft agreement, which I shall sign this weekend to bring in a partner and finalise the agreement for a five-star hotel, just as we are doing in Aba with Radisson Blu,” the governor said.
He revealed that the project partners would be formally unveiled during the groundbreaking event, adding: “It is a name you know and a name you will be very proud of.”
Mr Otti reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to institutionalising good governance and sustainable development, insisting that leadership must be rooted in stewardship and service to the people. He described governance as a sacred responsibility, stating that his administration remained guided by public trust and divine direction.
“It is a privilege to serve our people. I personally see leadership as service and leadership as stewardship. Anytime you remove stewardship from leadership, it becomes self-serving. For us, this is about stewardship,” he said.
The governor listed ongoing projects in Umuahia, including the proposed five-star hotel, the Umuahia Township Stadium, and the Amachara Specialist Hospital. According to him, his government only initiates projects it is certain to complete.
“The transformation of Umuahia is in its infancy; 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 anyone. We do not want Umuahia to resemble Dubai; we want it to look like Umuahia. There is still much to be done, and by the time we finish, I assure you, it will never be the same again,” he said.
In his remarks, the Deputy Speaker of the State Assembly, Austine Mmeregini, commended the governor’s developmental strides and leadership style, stating that the Otti-led administration had demonstrated that government could indeed transform citizens’ lives.
The Chairman of Umuahia South Local Government Area, Chinedum Enwereuzo, speaking on behalf of the chairmen of Ikwuano and Umuahia North LGAs, said the constituency had never witnessed such massive development. He assured the governor of continued support from their people, adding that they were poised to demonstrate their appreciation for Mr Otti’s performance with their votes in 2027.
In separate goodwill messages, key stakeholders from the constituency—including a former state chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Uzodinma Okpara; Monday Ubani (SAN); and a former Minister of Defence, Thomas Aguiyi-Ironsi—praised the administration’s performance in developing and transforming the state. They noted that the governor had introduced social security support for the elderly and improved healthcare delivery through the renovation of previously dilapidated health facilities.
Earlier, the Chairman of the occasion, His Grace Archbishop Chibuzo Opoko of the Methodist Church Nigeria, praised the governor’s transformative leadership, which he said had left a significant impact on various sectors of the state’s economy. He appealed to the governor not to relent in executing more projects to further transform the state capital, citing the Abia International Sports Centre project.
A highlight of the ceremony was the formal welcome of a former federal lawmaker, Oluchi Ibeji, along with his supporters and hundreds of defectors from other political parties, into the Labour Party (LP). The National Secretary of the LP, Senator Darlington Nwokocha, who received the defectors, assured them of equal opportunities and fair treatment.
In brief remarks, Mr Ibeji said that Mr Otti’s purposeful leadership had restored hope to the people of Ikwuano and Umuahia, pledging to mobilise support for the governor in the 2027 general elections.
