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ROYALD:
Okorocha Turning Imo To A Haven For Tourist & A Modern Model City (Pics)

You people will not kill me. So putting a Christmas tree in the middle of one park and some little cosmetic street touch is now seen as turning Imo into a tourist haven. Ochi a tugbuom.
But wait a minute, have anyone verified where that tree was imported from. Hope we've not being scamed again with another China project. I know how well my amiable Governor likes inferior things, but he should have considered the possibility of this fake tree falling on people's head.
Where is Abagworo to counter this truth, especially now that he is content with the few filmtricks of our able Governor.
Mana Royald, biko ekwela ka ndi mmadu nu ihe a ikwuru ozo. If you say Rochas is turning Imo into a tourist haven with the show boy stunts he is known for, what wold you now say of Ikedi Ohakim during his first tenure or even Donald Duke of Crossriver.
Rochas may have tried in his 11th effort to keep Owerri clean before the december break, but saying he has uplifted Imo into a tourist haven is a joke taking too far. Imo has always being a tourist delight even before Rochas was born and will remain so even after his exit.
But joke apart, I think it's time we start praying for Rochas, especially as it involves his penchant likeness for inferior things. What do you guys think?

My brothers and sisters , i have registered ooo!.
please you guys should come there.

The renewed Imo Concorde 8 storey and five star hotel. The biggest in Southeast. Rockview is equally 8 Storey but not as big.

Chiwude:
You people will not kill me. So putting a Christmas tree in the middle of one park and some little cosmetic street touch is now seen as turning Imo into a tourist haven. Ochi a tugbuom.
But wait a minute, have anyone verified where that tree was imported from. Hope we've not being scamed again with another China project. I know how well my amiable Governor likes inferior things, but he should have considered the possibility of this fake tree falling on people's head.
Where is Abagworo to counter this truth, especially now that he is content with the few filmtricks of our able Governor.
Mana Royald, biko ekwela ka ndi mmadu nu ihe a ikwuru ozo. If you say Rochas is turning Imo into a tourist haven with the show boy stunts he is known for, what wold you now say of Ikedi Ohakim during his first tenure or even Donald Duke of Crossriver.
Rochas may have tried in his 11th effort to keep Owerri clean before the december break, but saying he has uplifted Imo into a tourist haven is a joke taking too far. Imo has always being a tourist delight even before Rochas was born and will remain so even after his exit.
But joke apart, I think it's time we start praying for Rochas, especially as it involves his penchant likeness for inferior things. What do you guys think?

You may not come from Imo Chiwude
Man Ohakim is A criminal or ikiri in Igbo. You may not like Okorocha face ,I will advice you to appreciate a good thing.because in the Bible there are people like you who did not acknowledge the goodness of our Lord Jesus Christ .Always on fault founding mission i do not want to talk much.

Abagworo:
The renewed Imo Concorde 8 storey and five star hotel. The biggest in Southeast. Rockview is equally 8 Storey but not as big.

Will this hotel ever become old??

It seems like we are gonna continue using this hotel as a unit of measure of development forever..

It's done now..

Make we do other things..

Make we begin to develop division of labour..

That's the keyword for success..

Igboland should be self sustainable if we make the internal economy complement itself..

The farmers feed the architects who build the houses which house the teachers which teach the students who become the engineers who build the roads which transport the artists who beautify the city etc..

It's not rocket science..

In Nigeria it seems to me that we just have a gang of people selling oil and everybody else is selling carrots..

And when a few money leaks out from the oil thieves pockets we call people on the other side of the planet to do jobs that we can do..

Btw since when do governments own hotels??

Obiobi8:


Will this hotel ever become old??

It seems like we are gonna continue using this hotel as a unit of measure of development forever..

It's done now..

Make we do other things..

Make we begin to develop division of labour..

That's the keyword for success..

Igboland should be self sustainable if we make the internal economy complement itself..

The farmers feed the architects who build the houses which house the teachers which teach the students who become the engineers who build the roads which transport the artists who beautify the city etc..

It's not rocket science..

In Nigeria it seems to me that we just have a gang of people selling oil and everybody else is selling carrots..

And when a few money leaks out from the oil thieves pockets we call people on the other side of the planet to do jobs that we can do..

Btw since when do governments own hotels??

Government actually shouldn't involve in businesses but encourage private businesses to thrive.

The hotel revolution witnessed in Owerri in recent years is a product of Concorde's success. As at 1999 the only structure in new Owerri was Concorde hotel and the commissioners quaters.

On a side note I plead with Okorocha to consider investing more to increase tourism in Oguta. He should dualise the road from Mgbidi to Oguta and beautify it with ornamental trees. From Owerri to Oguta is 35mins of smooth ride and people don't know how beautiful Oguta is.

ROYALD:



You may not come from Imo Chiwude
Man Ohakim is A criminal or ikiri in Igbo. You may not like Okorocha face ,I will advice you to appreciate a good thing.because in the Bible there are people like you who did not acknowledge the goodness of our Lord Jesus Christ .Always on fault founding mission i do not want to talk much.

Maybe you just joined nairaland.

Abagworo:


Government actually shouldn't involve in businesses but encourage private businesses to thrive.

The hotel revolution witnessed in Owerri in recent years is a product of Concorde's success. As at 1999 the only structure in new Owerri was Concorde hotel and the commissioners quaters.

On a side note I plead with Okorocha to consider investing more to increase tourism in Oguta. He should dualise the road from Mgbidi to Oguta and beautify it with ornamental trees. From Owerri to Oguta is 35mins of smooth ride and people don't know how beautiful Oguta is.

^^^This is what pisses me off with the guy! Imo is punching far below their weight and all we get from Okorocha is talk-talk-talk with not much to show for 5 years on the job!

Imagine having such a potential goldmine on your doorstep like the Oguta Lake, and all he's managed to do is renovate a few budget rooms in a cheap-looking motel! A project like that requires a serious private investor, and for the access road from Owerri to the resort to be done up to international standard!

IGBOSON1:


^^^This is what pisses me off with the guy! Imo is punching far below their weight and all we get from Okorocha is talk-talk-talk with not much to show for 5 years on the job!

Imagine having such a potential goldmine on your doorstep like the Oguta Lake, and all he's managed to do is renovate a few budget rooms in a cheap-looking motel! A project like that requires a serious private investor, and for the access road from Owerri to the resort to be done up to international standard!

People including PDP and APC critiques are misleading Okorocha into forcing industries and commerce on Imo State. Those people consider tourism as wasteful investment not knowing it is one of the biggest industries in the world. Imo is surrounded by commercial giants like Onitsha, Aba and Port Harcourt and it is waste of time trying to compete with them in what they have gone far. Owerri has a big advantage by being a traditional enjoyment town and that is what Okorocha should capitalise on for economic growth in Imo State.

An intelligent Igbo son Collins Onuegbu wrote this and he has same article for every single Southeastern State.



A MARSHALL PLAN FOR SOUTH EAST NIGERIA: OWERRI AS HUB OF TOURISM
December 12, 2015 • 50 Views • 4 Likes • 3 Comments

I have had to suspend this series recently to allow the Biafra agitation in the east subside. In order not to mix up the conversation. But the agitation makes an economic Marshall plan for the zone more urgent to avoid the region becoming a problem to Nigeria.

Following in alphabetical order , I have discussed previously the states of Abia, Anambra, and Enugu in the context of my theory that states in the zone should specialize to help develop an integrated region and reduce the exodus of its human capital to other parts of Nigeria and beyond. Today I will like to discuss Imo state, jumping Ebonyi which I will shortly come to. There is no reason for this except that in recent travels and conversations , I have become more convinced that this state, which is my home state in more in urgent need of economic direction and its citizens all over the world should urgently discuss how the state, which has one of the most educated people in Nigeria should help turn its fortunes around. And my conclusion is that it could easily develop the ambition of being the state where Igbo people and its neighbors initially and the rest of Nigeria eventually should flock to, to spend their tourism naira.

Owerri the capital of Imo state and its environs may not appear as a place that could become the tourist heaven of Nigeria. And Nigerians generally think of tourism as that thing people do when they go abroad. So if you ask a Nigerian today where he wants to spend his vacation, anywhere outside Nigeria including Benin republic will do. Anywhere but Nigeria.

It was only Donald Duke , the former Governor of Cross River state who made a bold effort to turn Calabar into a tourism destination. And he almost succeeded. Today, the yearly Calabar Carnival is one of the biggest events in Nigeria's tourism Calendar. And other states are copying to varying degrees of success. I suppose he realized that for a country of 170m people with less than 10% able to travel overseas for vacation, there is an available market to create entertainment and tourism for the rest of the population. But Calabar had its limitations. It is one of the least accessible parts of Nigeria because of its location and Nigerian air routes are not sophisticated enough to really make the place the destination you will want to hop into for your weekend.

But Owerri is different from Calabar. The first thing going for Owerri is that it is the center of the South East and South South. Reachable easily by road and air by almost a 3rd of Nigeria. Secondly, Igbos are a diaspora nation. But its a diaspora nation that wants to come home weekends, holidays, Christmas and anything in-between. And when they come home, they need a place to relax, and have fun. In the South East, Owerri offers this very easily. And for me, that's the ingredient for building a tourist destination. There are enough Igbo dollars from its citizens abroad and in Nigeria to turn a town like Owerri into easily the best place to spend tourism naira in Nigeria.

Trying being in Owerri this Christmas. Without a carnival , you are likely to be caught in traffic as the city and its environs swell with visitors for Christmas. Some weekend, finding a quality accommodation is not guaranteed unless you book early. Despite the city having one of the highest hotel densities in Nigeria.And its hangout spots are some of the busiest any Sunday night.

And the indigenous culture of Owerri is also helpful. This town from time has been known to welcome visitors. I do not want to go into the fables of how welcoming Owerri people and their women are to visitors but the town does welcome indigenes and visitors with open arms , one of the most welcoming in the East.

I am not sure the current government in Imo Stare will want to consider Tourism as the mainstay of the states economy. They will possibly want a more lofty ambition. Like one industrial hub or the other considering also that that Igbos pride themselves as industrious and hardworking people. But sadly for Owerri, it is surrounded by Onitsha, Aba, Nnewi, and Port Harcourt. These towns are way ahead in any kind of industry the state may want to get involved in. The town however , even as I write, has become the hub of entertainment for people from these industry hubs. Go to Owerri on weekend and ask the club revelers where they are from. Its either Lagos/Abuja or the industrial towns in the region, from Port Harcourt to Onitsha. There is already a reputation here despite official denial.

So I suggest the state accepts what is staring it in the face and work to develop the potential of the city to be the place people will want to build hotels, game parks, golf courses, night clubs, and whatever else the city needs. This will include also making the place safe for visitors, helping create standards for the operations of hotels and entertainment centers and improving access to the city by air and by road. And selling the city to its citizens, the entire South East and Nigeria as a place all are welcome.

And tourism is a great way to create employment. Imo state should rank as one of the states with the highest level of graduate unemployment. A well developed tourism industry will take lots of unemployed people off the streets.

To complement tourism, the state should also continue its investment in education. But should be more creative in its investment in education. The state should invest in entrepreneurial education to provide human capital to the industrial hubs of Onitsha/Nnewi, Aba and Port Harcourt. And of course its internal needs in tourism. Its ambition should go beyond churning out unemployable graduates but potential entrepreneurs.

WHAT TO DO

Designate the state as a tourism hub for entire South East.
Sell concept to private sector . Starting with indigenes. Then South Easterners. And then Nigeria and the world.
Concession Oguta lake to competent international tourism operators . A look at what Rwanda turned Lake Kivu, similar to Oguta will be helpful.
Help standardize hotel operations. Hotel rating agencies to classify hotels in state.

Abagworo:


People including PDP and APC critiques are misleading Okorocha into forcing industries and commerce on Imo State. Those people consider tourism as wasteful investment not knowing it is one of the biggest industries in the world. Imo is surrounded by commercial giants like Onitsha, Aba and Port Harcourt and it is waste of time trying to compete with them in what they have gone far. Owerri has a big advantage by being a traditional enjoyment town and that is what Okorocha should capitalise on for economic growth in Imo State.

Is owerri the only part of Imo state?

Abagworo, may I have the link to where u got this Collins series Or which media outlet it that?

InyinyaAgbaOku:
Abagworo, may I have the link to where u got this Collins series Or which media outlet it that?

Its on his LinkedIn. If you want to read his writing on others

https://www./marshall-plan-south-east-nigeria3-anambra-hub-collins-onuegbu?forceNoSplash=true

https://www./marshal-plan-south-east-nigeria4-where-aba-goes-abia-collins-onuegbu?forceNoSplash=true

https://www./marshall-plan-south-east-nigeria5-enugu-professional-cluster-onuegbu?redirectFromSplash=true

He is yet to write on Ebonyi but we all know Ebonyi is the mining capital of the Southeast and the richest in solid minerals. His contribution will obviously focus on that.

Abagworo:
The renewed Imo Concorde 8 storey and five star hotel. The biggest in Southeast. Rockview is equally 8 Storey but not as big.

Biggest ashewo headquarters in Nigeria

IGBOSON1:


^^^This is what pisses me off with the guy! Imo is punching far below their weight and all we get from Okorocha is talk-talk-talk with not much to show for 5 years on the job!

Imagine having such a potential goldmine on your doorstep like the Oguta Lake, and all he's managed to do is renovate a few budget rooms in a cheap-looking motel! A project like that requires a serious private investor, and for the access road from Owerri to the resort to be done up to international standard!

Abagworo:


Its on his LinkedIn. If you want to read his writing on others

https://www./marshall-plan-south-east-nigeria3-anambra-hub-collins-onuegbu?forceNoSplash=true

https://www./marshal-plan-south-east-nigeria4-where-aba-goes-abia-collins-onuegbu?forceNoSplash=true

https://www./marshall-plan-south-east-nigeria5-enugu-professional-cluster-onuegbu?redirectFromSplash=true

He is yet to write on Ebonyi but we all know Ebonyi is the mining capital of the Southeast and the richest in solid minerals. His contribution will obviously focus on that.

Thanks for the prompt response

vanbonattel:

See your rotten teeth. Ask yourselves if there is even motorable road from Calabar to Obudu. Most of you criticizing Okorocha do so out of personal hatred. The road from Owerri to Oguta is very smooth with zero pothole or traffic congestion all the way to the lakeside. I only asked for beautification of Mgbidi to Oguta as a way of attracting international visitors and equally creating a new city in that axis.





Below is what a Yoruba visitor tweeted about Oguta yesterday.

The roads from Owerri to Oguta or from Omoku through Egbema to Oguta is equally motor able. I don't see a issue there.

Afam4eva:
The roads from Opera to out or from Otaku through Egbert to Osuna is equally motor able. I don't see a issue there.

osuna or osina?

asha80:
osuna or osina?

Your job on this forum is just to quote people and ask silly questions.

ZeroTolerance:
Your job on this forum is just to quote people and ask silly questions.

ok you are noticed

i love imo state..the state is well design..owerri town is a place to be..a centre of tourism and industries..the state is beautiful..i prefare to stay in owerri than any places in the east though..am addicted to the city lifestyles...
Rochas pls do more..


Happy weekend..good pple of imo state...

asha80:
osuna or osina?

It was an error which I have modified.

All plans to define Imo State or Owerri as a 'tourist city' are from half baked internet forum economists.

Owerri will only work is an equal or greater infusion of commerce and industry than what is seen in Aba and Osha. Lagos is an example of an economically successful Nigerian city. What if it was only a tourist city? It would be gutted and racked with more poverty. Instead it features commerce, tourism, tech, industry, finance, and even agriculture


All of the worlds great cities have all economic sectors represented. Unless you want the whole of Owerri to be maids and hotel clerks, while our talented computer programmers and industrialists move to Lagos.

Road maintenance at New Owerri. The good news is that covered drainage and walkways has now been introduced. The markings and road signs should be renewed and I can comfortably say that place is flawless.

Abagworo:
Road maintenance at New Owerri. The good news is that covered drainage and walkways has now been introduced. The markings and road signs should be renewed and I can comfortably say that place is flawless.

I discovered that owerri is the only part of the East dat does not hv this red soil...

Rochas wud be remembered in imo state, whether anybody likes it or not, if d previous govt performed d way he is performing by now imo wud be at par with ph or sm wealthy states.
The greater owerri idea is welcome, I hope they have a mall there like Spar or Palms mall with good street lightening.
The govt can also place a policy that says all buildings in the area must not be less than 2 storeys.

MyGeneration:
Rochas wud be remembered in imo state, whether anybody likes it or not, if d previous govt performed d way he is performing by now imo wud be at par with ph or sm wealthy states.
The greater owerri idea is welcome, I hope they have a mall there like Spar or Palms mall with good street lightening.
The govt can also place a policy that says all buildings in the area must not be less than 2 storeys.

Hopefully a 2nd mall will emerge pretty soon. Right now there's "House of Freeda" and "Shoprite" opening in the next 1 month.

You hit the nail on the head with your 1st comment but a new visitor will fail to acknowledge it especially if he meets opposition who will poison his mind and go looking for bad places to show as if every other State does not have the bad side.

The red soil is not a bad thing and is found as you move northwards and extends across that line from Cross River to Ogun State. As you move north from Port Harcourt via Owerri the red soil starts at Orji and Amakohia.

InyinyaAgbaOku:

Is owerri the only part of Imo state?

Gov. Rocha and his crowd including Abagworo have made Owerri the only part of Imo state.


It suits their taste.

Rocha has all his businesses, including hotels and living palace only in Owerri. So he is hurrying to make Owerri a New York at the expense of infrastructure in the other 26 LGas in Imo state. Rocha, what a politician without tact.!!!!


Abagworo shall tell us Rocha is dualizing Owerri-Orlu road. A road to connect to Rochas Ideato home, of course.

But Orlu's economy has been deliberately wrecked, hacked to near death by Rochas administration, as Rochas government scratched away the surfaces of very important roads in Orlu and abandoned them in the last four years.

All establishments that bring money to Orlu have been stifled in the last four years, so what's the dual carriage way meant for?

Abagworo:


Hopefully a 2nd mall will emerge pretty soon. Right now there's "House of Freeda" and "Shoprite" opening in the next 1 month.

You hit the nail on the head with your 1st comment but a new visitor will fail to acknowledge it especially if he meets opposition who will poison his mind and go looking for bad places to show as if every other State does not have the bad side.

The red soil is not a bad thing and is found as you move northwards and extends across that line from Cross River to Ogun State. As you move north from Port Harcourt via Owerri the red soil starts at Orji and Amakohia.

my village doesnt really have it,
I discovered dat d red soil normally stains buildings dats y I dont like it...

mandax:



Gov. Rocha and his crowd including Abagworo have made Owerri the only part of Imo state.


It suits their taste.

Rocha has all his businesses, including hotels and living palace only in Owerri. So he is hurrying to make Owerri a New York at the expense of infrastructure in the other 26 LGas in Imo state. Rocha, what a politician without tact.!!!!


Abagworo shall tell us Rocha is dualizing Owerri-Orlu road. A road to connect to Rochas Ideato home, of course.

But Orlu's economy has been deliberately wrecked, hacked to near death by Rochas administration, as Rochas government scratched away the surfaces of very important roads in Orlu and abandoned them in the last four years.

All establishments that bring money to Orlu have been stifled in the last four years, so what's the dual carriage way meant for?

very soon such things wud change...
just like u said b4 if other governors performed like Rochas by now imo wud hv gone far.
I know back then when I used to go home when passing tru concord it was just a big old building with average environs, not only dat d only reasonable things u see in imo state used to be just mechanic villages, dirty markets and sm other things. Back then anybody from Owerri who went to a place like Lagos or Ph wud start marvelling, but now all those things hv changed we now hv a city we can be proud of.
If people show places in there states we also have fine places to show of too.
If tourism wud drive it by d hotels so be it, tourism might be the new leading force that wud bring industrialization to the state because some of the things needed by the hotels need to be supplied so we wud have industries for that.
Let us just play our cards well in the Nigerian political sphere and look for d way to grab wats best for us, if other igbo states want to be fighting a phantom fight or want to be stuck in the past its there loss not ours.
Imo state is for Nigeria.