Ben Ezechime, Enugu
Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has extolled former Premier of the Eastern Region, Dr. Michael Okpara, for his vision while in office.
Mbah made the remark while unveiling the reconstructed Hotel Presidential, which was established by the administration of Okpara in the 1960s, describing the revival of the 62-year-old edifice as “a homecoming for history.” The governor lamented that the monument of pride for the South-East zone was allowed to rot away for the past 15 years.
He explained that the revival of Hotel Presidential was in line with his campaign promises to recover Enugu’s moribund assets and also grow the state’s economy sevenfold.
“Sixty-two years ago, our forebears, under the visionary leadership of Dr. Michael Okpara, built this landmark as a symbol of Eastern Region’s resilience, elegance, and enterprise.
“Over the decades, time and neglect dimmed that light.
“For about 15 years, this glorious edifice stood as an affront to our pride, as something contrary to what we represent.
“We came into office with a strong pledge: to recover what belongs to our people, convert dormant assets into productive assets, and turn liabilities into engines of growth.
“That is why this unveiling is more than opening the doors of a hotel; it is the reopening of Enugu’s confidence.
“It is a tangible sign that when we say Enugu is open for business, we mean business.
“This hotel is a strategic enabler of our growth plan, comprising the ambitious target to grow Enugu’s economy sevenfold to at least $30 billion and to achieve a zero percent poverty headcount rate,” he said.
He assured the public that the standards for the hotel’s revamp were truly world-class, because the administration “insisted on this so that when Enugu says ‘welcome’ to its investors, our hospitality infrastructure speaks with the same credibility as our policies.”
“Our hospitality ecosystem today is simply inspiring: the 5,000-seat International Conference Centre (ICC) now anchors Enugu’s conferencing ambitions; the adjacent 5-star, 345-room ICC Hotel under construction will deliver premium ‘keys’ for large events; Enugu Air, which has given wings to our dreams and announced the scale of our vision to the world; and now, the renewed Hotel Presidential adds a full-service icon back into the mix.
“None of this is a whimsical project; they are connecting dots on a large canvas. These assets are crucial to our aim to welcome up to three million annual tourist visits and to make Enugu the Conferencing Capital of Africa.
“The economic value is already visible. This hotel alone supports hundreds of direct jobs, culinary and events teams, engineering, landscaping, suppliers, and several other opportunities.
“Every conference day books our taxis and CNG buses; every visiting family discovers our art, our music, our cuisine, and our warmth.
“And the signal to investors is even bigger: when government shows it can recover assets, fix the fundamentals, and protect investments, private capital follows. That is why you see momentum across other moribund assets like UPPL, Sunrise Flour Mill, Nigergas, the International Conference Centre, and a host of others,” he added.
He thanked the managers and concessionaire of the reconstructed hotel, Amber Hospitality, for believing in Enugu’s potential, noting that “they bring on board an enviable pedigree, earned through the efficient management of about 12 successful brands in the hospitality sector.”
He equally commended the contractors, Dilworth, for their attention to detail, as well as the successive Commissioners of Works and Infrastructure and their Culture and Tourism counterpart for working to realise the project.
