A 55-room Tastefully furnished and equipped international hotel, located in the commercial nerve centre of Abia State, Aba, and built by an investor, Owelle Greg Okafor, ORIS Signature Hotel has been commissioned by Governor Alex Otti.
Performing the ceremony, Governor Otti reiterated the determination of his administration to deepen the conducive environment for investments to thrive in the State.
The Governor congratulated the Chief Executive Officer of the hotel, Owelle Greg Okafor, for delivering the project within just two years and a few months.
Governor Otti recalled that when he assumed office, Aba was characterised by poor road infrastructure and ailing industries, but noted with satisfaction that the narrative has changed for the better.
“My understanding is that this hotel project started early in 2024 and two years plus a few months later, he has delivered it. When we came on board three years and a few months ago, all of us who were brought up in Aba know what we met, but that’s not the story for today.
“I understand we have over 55 rooms here, and I’m told it is already being sold out even before commissioning. So, it tells me that the opportunities here are endless,” Gov. Otti stated.
Governor Otti used the occasion to invite investors who had relocated from the State, as well as prospective investors, to leverage the business-friendly environment his administration has created.
The State Chief Executive said what his administration has done so far is only “scratching the surface,” adding that Abians would witness more developmental projects in his second term.
“A few months after we took over, hotels started being overbooked,” Gov. Otti noted. “The Radisson Blu Enyimba Hotel which will soon be ready will be overbooked even before its commissioning.
“This town will continue to grow. All our people who relocated, we are asking them to come back quickly. A lot of them are already back. If you don’t make haste and come back, maybe when you want to come back, there will be nowhere for you to stay. Never again will this town go back to where we are coming from.”
In an interview, the Mayor of Aba North, Hon. Timothy Iheke, extolled Governor Otti for creating an enabling environment that has boosted economic activities in Aba North and Abia State at large.
Hon. Iheke maintained that since the inception of the Otti administration, investors have continued to see Aba as a safe haven for their investments, adding that properties which had no value in previous years have now appreciated significantly. He commended Owelle Greg Okafor for investing in Aba.
Earlier, the General Manager of ORIS Signature Hotel, Mr. Sharon Mani, disclosed that the hotel is a 55-room hospitality facility with world-class amenities. He said the company was motivated to invest in Abia because of the conducive environment created by Governor Otti, and appreciated the CEO, Owelle Greg Okafor, for his vision.
Speaking on behalf of the Aba business community, an industrialist, Sir Leo Ike Okoye thanked Governor Otti for his openness and commitment to creating a conducive environment for businesses to thrive in Aba and Abia State in general, and prayed God to bless him. He urged the Aba community to ensure Governor Otti is re-elected in 2027 to sustain the transformation and good governance across the State.
Sir Okoye also commended Owelle Greg Okafor for his investment and prayed for the blossoming of the business.
In his vote of thanks, the CEO of ORIS Signature Hotel, Owelle Greg Okafor, thanked Governor Otti for allowing God to use him to fix Aba, which has brought development back to the city. He assured that in Governor Otti’s second term, he would be commissioning more projects.
The ceremony attracted the Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Emeruwa, members of the State House of Assembly, Commissioner for Culture, Arts and Creative Economy, Dr. Mathew Ekwuribe and other Commissioners, Mayors of Aba North and South among other dignitaries were in attendance.
