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Athan Achonu Builds ?new Dubai? In Imo State: Says, ?we Have Funding For It - Politics - Nairaland

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Athan Achonu Builds ?new Dubai? In Imo State: Says, ?we Have Funding For It by bellten: 6:08pm On Aug 04, 2011
http://igbodefender.com/2011/08/04/athan-achonu-builds-new-dubai-in-imo-state-says-we-have-funding-for-it%e2%80%9d/

Posted on 04/08/2011 by Prince Charles Oforkaja

QUOTES OF PROPERTY DEVELOPER, CHIEF ATHAN ACHONU, DESCRIBING HIS MULTI- BILLION NGN HOTEL PROJECT IN OWERRI, IMO STATE:

“I am going to put a mega-mall of international standard that will attract people from far and wide because Owerri needs something to attract people. We need something that is not in existence in the entire South East to be able to attract people. Look at the case of Dubai, when they started building Dubai, people scoffed, ‘who is going to come to the desert’? But, they built something that now attracts millions of people from all over the world.

I am going to build the mega-mall and another hotel at the end facing the water. That is the plan, and we have funding for it”.

INTERESTING FEATURES BEING CONSTRUCTED

According to Solomon Younes of Hidson Engineering, who is Project Engineer at the site “the hotel consists of  130 standard rooms, 12 suites and two presidential suites located at the penthouse. According to Younes, the left wing of the main building will hold a Conference Hall of 800sq metres as well as a basement car park, casino, nightclub and restaurant, while the fourth floor will have the swimming pool.

The outfit will also boast African and Continental restaurants as well as Jazz Bar.

It is a five star hotel that will contain all facilities of any standard five star hotel in the world. Our finishing is going to be Alucopond. This is a new material made of aluminium; no painting, and requires practically no maintenance and it has its own extra values. We are going to provide every necessary infrastructure and adequate security in the hotel. We’ll run excellent… power generation plants; four in  number and 1,000 KVA each, connected to a transformer exclusively meant for the hotel.”

COMPLETION DATE
According to Younes the completion period of the project is 15 months, precisely September, 2012.

PHILANTHROPIC INVESTOR
Chief Achonu described his attitude on citing the mega project in Owerri, instead of some bigger more developed Nigerian city in the following excerpts. “I don’t care, it is not about the returns, it is about developing Owerri. Owerri is where I come from: look at all my brothers who have left schools, no jobs, graduates all over the place; no employment opportunities. I come home frequently, and; when I look at people around me complaining of no job, no money, I feel so sad.

I am comfortable and I can feed myself three times a day. But, how much really does one man like me need? How about other people, who do not have the opportunities given to me by God?”

IGBODEFENDER.COM’S REACTION
This reminds Igbodefender.com of the hotels in Las Vegas that are actually miniature cities- “Little Monacos” if you like.

We wish Chief Achonu, and Governor Rochas Okorocha, the host governor success in this endeavour. Igbo kwenu!

Cited article: http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/travels/2011/aug/04/Travel-04-08-2011-002.html

© igbodefender.com 2011
Re: Athan Achonu Builds ?new Dubai? In Imo State: Says, ?we Have Funding For It by jumobi1(m): 6:15pm On Aug 04, 2011
Bad idea. Road/transportation and security. Plus what else would people do? its not enough attraction to bring people to Imo
Re: Athan Achonu Builds ?new Dubai? In Imo State: Says, ?we Have Funding For It by aljharem3: 6:18pm On Aug 04, 2011
jumobi1:

Bad idea. Road/transportation and security. Plus what else would people do? its not enough attraction to bring people to Imo

another tinapa in the making

but if it works then good

but the current structures in IMO does not favour this
Re: Athan Achonu Builds ?new Dubai? In Imo State: Says, ?we Have Funding For It by jumobi1(m): 6:23pm On Aug 04, 2011
Would work if we had a larger middle class in Nigeria. The Big boys in 9ja would rather go to Dubai to flex than somewhere local. If we had enough middle class, these ideas would thrive. We need electricity and transportation to facilitate the growth of the middle class in Naija.
Re: Athan Achonu Builds ?new Dubai? In Imo State: Says, ?we Have Funding For It by bellten: 6:24pm On Aug 04, 2011
@ Jumobi1: According to the dude, hotels in Owerri are usually filled up during the weekends. See this link: http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/travels/2011/aug/04/Travel-04-08-2011-002.html

Plus, he says it aint about the money, but about bringing tourism to the state. So, its a good investment, and another feather in the cap of Okorocha.
Re: Athan Achonu Builds ?new Dubai? In Imo State: Says, ?we Have Funding For It by PROUDIGBO(m): 6:30pm On Aug 04, 2011
It would have been better to have sited this in Enugu, that has access to a int'l airport but still has the need for a world class/5-star Hotel.

Did anyone catch the cost and contractors for the project? These would be a pointer to what type of Hotel we should expect. I'm not interested in any 'local champion/Obi and sons' type of construction angry. World class should mean world class.
Re: Athan Achonu Builds ?new Dubai? In Imo State: Says, ?we Have Funding For It by jumobi1(m): 6:33pm On Aug 04, 2011
bellten:

@ Jumobi1: According to the dude, hotels in Owerri are usually filled up during the weekends. See this link: http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/travels/2011/aug/04/Travel-04-08-2011-002.html

Plus, he says it aint about the money, but about bringing tourism to the state. So, its a good investment, and another feather in the cap of Okorocha.
How much do those hotels cost/night? If u build a world class $500/night hotel in Imo, it would fail
Re: Athan Achonu Builds ?new Dubai? In Imo State: Says, ?we Have Funding For It by wesley80(m): 6:54pm On Aug 04, 2011
Good thing he wants to invest in his home state but i dont think building a hotel - allbeit a very classy one - is the best way to help his homestate or create employment as the hotel market in the state is pretty much saturated. Hotels that go for between 5-7k in other cities go for as low as 2,500 to 3500 in Owerri. The project may be viable in a town known for the ostentatious habits of her inhabitants but would further 'crowd out' smaller hotels and thereby losing most of the supposed benefits. Owerri i can tell you, does not lack good hotels.

The leading 'industry' in Owerri is hotelling and anyone that has good money to invest ought to be considering other ideas.
Re: Athan Achonu Builds ?new Dubai? In Imo State: Says, ?we Have Funding For It by aljharem3: 6:59pm On Aug 04, 2011
PROUD-IGBO:

It would have been better to have sited this in Enugu, that has access to a int'l airport but still has the need for a world class/5-star Hotel.

Did anyone catch the cost and contractors for the project? These would be a pointer to what type of Hotel we should expect. I'm not interested in any 'local champion/Obi and sons' type of construction angry. World class should mean world class.

I think that makes more sense

jumobi1:

Would work if we had a larger middle class in Nigeria. The Big boys in 9ja would rather go to Dubai to flex than somewhere local. If we had enough middle class, these ideas would thrive. We need electricity and transportation to facilitate the growth of the middle class in Naija.

How many big 9ja men go to dubia

if the middle-class are going to spend money, it is either abuja, lagos or port harcourt

Now, Enugu is not a bad site given the fact that it has int airport. at the end of the day it is both nigerian and foreigner we need not just nigerians

enugu or anambra would have been a better location
Re: Athan Achonu Builds ?new Dubai? In Imo State: Says, ?we Have Funding For It by ezeagu(m): 7:04pm On Aug 04, 2011
[size=14pt]Please, the east doesn't need anything like "Dubai"[/size], other places can have that. Build infrastructure and rest will take place. How I wish Nigeria will hurry up and dismiss.
Re: Athan Achonu Builds ?new Dubai? In Imo State: Says, ?we Have Funding For It by bellten: 7:15pm On Aug 04, 2011
When the Al Marktoum family was building Dubai, people said they were throwing money down a hole. Now look at the sucess story that is Dubai. If you build it they will come.

1 Like

Re: Athan Achonu Builds ?new Dubai? In Imo State: Says, ?we Have Funding For It by Roland17(m): 7:17pm On Aug 04, 2011
silly idea, the number of hotels in imo state, especially owerri is alarming, they can do better things with that money. we must also remember that owerri is very small and could get overpopulated.
Re: Athan Achonu Builds ?new Dubai? In Imo State: Says, ?we Have Funding For It by bellten: 7:21pm On Aug 04, 2011
@ Roland 17:
Tokyo is overpopulated. So are many other world class cities. It is the quality that matters. Rather than over- burdening Lagos this proud Igbo man has chosen to attract tourists to Imo State.
Re: Athan Achonu Builds ?new Dubai? In Imo State: Says, ?we Have Funding For It by PROUDIGBO(m): 7:28pm On Aug 04, 2011
ezeagu:

[size=14pt]Please, the east doesn't need anything like "Dubai"[/size], other places can have that. Build infrastructure and rest will take place. How I wish Nigeria will hurry up and dismiss.

^^^ While i agree we don't really need a 'Dubai' in the south east at the moment, i do think we need to have a conference centre in Enugu, preferably as part of a 5-star Hotel complex. This would help put Enugu and the south east on the world map and bring the world to us.
Re: Athan Achonu Builds ?new Dubai? In Imo State: Says, ?we Have Funding For It by ak47mann(m): 7:30pm On Aug 04, 2011
Ala owerri keep it up cheesy
Re: Athan Achonu Builds ?new Dubai? In Imo State: Says, ?we Have Funding For It by Ibime(m): 7:34pm On Aug 04, 2011
The journalist who sculpted this piece should be shot. Either that or Achonu should be shot for overselling his project.

The journalist turned a 130 room hotel into "the new Dubai in Owerri".

Some YMCA's have more than 130 rooms sef. Mschheeeeww.

Am sure Presidential Hotel in PH has more than 130 rooms and am sure PH is not the new Dubai.
Re: Athan Achonu Builds ?new Dubai? In Imo State: Says, ?we Have Funding For It by mekaboy(m): 7:57pm On Aug 04, 2011


IT WILL IMPROVE THE STANDARD OF LIVING FOR GIRLS THERE, THE MORE HOTELS, THE MORE GUYS, THE MORE BUSINESS grin grin grin grin

IF YOU HAVE SPENT TIME IN A HOTEL IN OWERRI U WILL KNOW WHAT I MEAN , grin grin grin
Re: Athan Achonu Builds ?new Dubai? In Imo State: Says, ?we Have Funding For It by rhymz(m): 8:08pm On Aug 04, 2011
Interesting
Re: Athan Achonu Builds ?new Dubai? In Imo State: Says, ?we Have Funding For It by POTUT(m): 8:23pm On Aug 04, 2011
I like the sound of his zeal. I must point out though that for tourism to work, many things have to come together at once, just like the engine of an automobile, so many things come together, acting in diverse ways to get the engine to rev up. The road from the airport has to be standardized. At the moment, its a shame.

Imo State missed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity when expatriates were running away from Rivers State and the Port Harcourt airport was closed for a long while. That I recognize as an opportunity we ought to have used to attract a large chunk of the oil expatriates to live in Owerri and work in Port Harcourt. Unfortunately, Udenwa was busy funnelling money to fund his daughter's great taste for good things.
Re: Athan Achonu Builds ?new Dubai? In Imo State: Says, ?we Have Funding For It by Afam4eva(m): 8:32pm On Aug 04, 2011
Yeah I remember when the port-hacourt airport was closed for renovation. Every had to fly to owerri. They didn't make the best use of that opportunity.
Re: Athan Achonu Builds ?new Dubai? In Imo State: Says, ?we Have Funding For It by member479760: 8:40pm On Aug 04, 2011
thats good development! go ahead, do it. the government job is to provide us with 24/7 electricity and not him.
Re: Athan Achonu Builds ?new Dubai? In Imo State: Says, ?we Have Funding For It by Reggie2(m): 8:50pm On Aug 04, 2011
This is a private investment geared towards boosting employment in Imo state yet some guys are talking about infrastructure! There are hundreds of thousands of imonites all around the globe ready to patronise the hotel if you care to know. These guys will bring in forex into da city. For economists, the rest is history. ALA OWERRI YA RIRI UNU MMA OO!!!!
Re: Athan Achonu Builds ?new Dubai? In Imo State: Says, ?we Have Funding For It by ak47mann(m): 8:58pm On Aug 04, 2011
mekaboy:



IT WILL IMPROVE THE STANDARD OF LIVING FOR GIRLS THERE, THE MORE HOTELS, THE MORE GUYS, THE MORE BUSINESS grin grin grin grin

IF YOU HAVE SPENT TIME IN A HOTEL IN OWERRI U WILL KNOW WHAT I MEAN , grin grin grin

i no what u mean me am a witness grin that's why i love owerri
Re: Athan Achonu Builds ?new Dubai? In Imo State: Says, ?we Have Funding For It by Jburg: 9:24pm On Aug 04, 2011
I beg we need fresh and big thing so that as i dey bit in naija , i dey falling there, tired of all season and concord dem, !!!
Re: Athan Achonu Builds ?new Dubai? In Imo State: Says, ?we Have Funding For It by chamber2(m): 9:27pm On Aug 04, 2011
This is a good idea. owerri, as much as i know, is a civil servant state and an entertainment spot for neighboring states. Aba and Onitsha are  no go areas when it comes to relaxation and entertainment. The project, when completed, will become a tourist hub in the eastern part of the country. Owerri has a very servile and enlightened citizenry, the presence of about four institutions of higher learning will make owerri an attractive destination for tourists. Afterall, tourists are mostly interested in women, security and good relaxation spot to enjoy their hard earned money.

Also, the investor seems not to be bothered much about the returns in terms of profit. This is his own little way of giving back to the society.
Re: Athan Achonu Builds ?new Dubai? In Imo State: Says, ?we Have Funding For It by Lotterysun: 9:30pm On Aug 04, 2011
It is successful already!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Re: Athan Achonu Builds ?new Dubai? In Imo State: Says, ?we Have Funding For It by ifydio(m): 9:31pm On Aug 04, 2011
i don't think there is any thing wrong with this idea, the man has good intention which with support from everyone can really work. there is no other preferable place development have to be simultaneous with other state too,
Re: Athan Achonu Builds ?new Dubai? In Imo State: Says, ?we Have Funding For It by Abagworo(m): 9:32pm On Aug 04, 2011
Owerri inspite of being small in landmass and population is the second most bubbling city in the entire East after Port-Harcourt.You cannot get Hotel accommodation in Owerri during weekends.It is probably the most saturated city in Nigeria in terms of available Hotel room space.Owerri is also the most mordern city in the East.
Re: Athan Achonu Builds ?new Dubai? In Imo State: Says, ?we Have Funding For It by RickyRoss1(m): 9:41pm On Aug 04, 2011
I commend this man for this noble idea. He is wiser than most of you yelling here for nothing. I am from Imo, it is very true there are lots of hotels in Owerri but hey come to Owerri every weekend and see if you will get any vacant hotel room. Everyone complains that Owerri has more than enough hotels, but these hotels cannot accommodate all the visitors that troop into Owerri every weekend.

At the moment I am in Port Harcourt, but every weekend I and my friends head to Owerri to Jolly life. Most Igbo boys in PHC and other neighboring states spend the weekends in Owerri because Owerri is very very lively during the weekends. Hotel business is the best and most profitable business in Owerri. Kanu Nwankwu is building a world class hotel along Port Harcourt road, Owerri which will open for business any moment from now. Many wise Igbo men are investing massively in Owerri, the foolish ones are building their hotels in other states and countries, tomorrow when there is crisis you start crying but it will be too late. If you are an Igbo man, you should know by now that you are hated by all other tribes in Nigeria and the best thing for you is to develop your own state/city instead of developing other peoples cities and claim it belongs to every Nigerian. My father lost 3 houses in Lagos during the Nigeria biafran war. If you are wise you would know that Nigeria is pregnant and what it will put to bed is a misery. Most Igbo men who prefer to invest outside Igboland claim they want quick returns on investment. But that's pure rubbish. What if war breaks out tomorrow, what are you gonna do A word is enough for the wise.

So my brother start developing your own state now, STOP discouraging a wise man who knows what he is doing. By citing his hotel in Imo he will create job for dozens of Imolites. We need these kinds of investments in Imo. Please my people stop competing with Dubai or any other city? Let us build our own Nigerian/African cities that can rival Dubai or even London. Owerri is very peaceful, very clean and without any flooding at all or traffic jams. If the government can invest in tourism I can bet you the sky will be the limit. If we have world class tourist centers in Nigeria most of Nigerian millionaires will prefer to spend their vacation here instead of always traveling to Kenya/Europe/Dubai.
Re: Athan Achonu Builds ?new Dubai? In Imo State: Says, ?we Have Funding For It by gidson12(m): 9:42pm On Aug 04, 2011
before you guys comment negatively, understand that this is a private project, and not a state project, the man has a good plan
Re: Athan Achonu Builds ?new Dubai? In Imo State: Says, ?we Have Funding For It by Nobody: 9:45pm On Aug 04, 2011
Abagworo:

Owerri inspite of being small in landmass and population is the second most bubbling city in the entire East after Port-Harcourt.You cannot get Hotel accommodation in Owerri during weekends.It is probably the most saturated city in Nigeria in terms of available Hotel room space.Owerri is also the most mordern city in the East.

true its almost impossible to get accomodation during the weekends ,owerri is always filled up bubbling with life , people commenting here have nver been to owerri ,though i would prefer more industries to pop up in owerri but the city is slowly becoming a tourist city.
Re: Athan Achonu Builds ?new Dubai? In Imo State: Says, ?we Have Funding For It by Nobody: 9:47pm On Aug 04, 2011
meeeeen now am missing owerri chai am going to ala owerri tomorrow cheesy cheesy cheesy cheesy

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