The Imo International Conference Center IICC, bank road Owerri is yet-to-be- branded a new name against the backdrop of speculations bedevilling government plans to rename the state edifice.
At the moment , IICC Owerri is seriously under construction by the 3R shared prosperity administration ably led by His Excellency Hope Uzodinma CON with wonderful standard features and recent day state gallery as 9News Nigeria reports.
Recall that IICC was originally initiated by former Governor Owele Rochas Okorocha who’s project collapsed few months after his tenure as Imo Governor. Some other projects that collapsed during Okorocha’s tenure were termed substandard and under-evaluated by construction experts.
In the meantime , Governor Hope Uzodinma, has invested a lot of money , time and standardisation test to re-construct and kickstart the IICC Owerri project from foundation to the finishing stage at the time of filling this report by 9News Nigeria.
Imolites are awashed of the new name-branding IICC Owerri may likely take at the instance of Governor Hope Uzodinma immortalizing the Imo born industrialist, Late Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu MFR.
Information also has it that Governor Hope Uzodinma is considering immortalizing IICC with his own name as the sitting Governor who actualized the new IICC or using Late Emmanuel Ahaejiejemba Iwuanyanwu as the second option. None of both option is officially approved until the IICC project is completed, commissioned and the New name unveiled as 9News authoritatively reports.
However, Hon Sir Collins Ughalaa, Special Adviser, Public Orientation has released a communique stating that Governor Hope Uzodinma has announced the renaming of Imo International Conference Centre to honour the late Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, who was laid to rest on Friday, 1 November 2024, at his ancestral home in Atta, Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State.
The facility, currently under construction in Owerri, will now be known as the Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu International Conference Centre after completion.
In a statement released on Saturday, Governor Uzodinma paid tribute to Iwuanyanwu’s “remarkable life” and enduring legacy. “We celebrated the remarkable life of Chief Engr. Dr. Emmanuel Chukwuemeka Iwuanyanwu CFR, Ahaejiagamba Ndigbo, as he was laid to rest at his hometown, Atta in Ikeduru LGA of Imo State. Chief Iwuanyanwu was more than a leader; he was a beacon of hope, a Pan-Nigerian icon, and a dedicated voice for Ndi’Igbo,” the governor stated.
“Chief Iwuanyanwu’s legacy lives on in his many accomplishments—his support for the youth in sports, his relentless drive for industrial growth, and his tireless advocacy for social justice. His generosity and leadership impacted lives and inspired all who crossed his path,” Governor Hope Odidika Uzodinma added.
The governor further called on the Federal Government to recognise Iwuanyanwu’s lasting contributions to the nation’s development. He also expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Federal Government for their support, as well as to the governors and governments of Abia, Ebonyi, Anambra, and Enugu States for their commitment to honouring the 11th President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.
At the time of filling this verified report by 9News Nigeria, Imo International convention center IICC Owerri is still under construction, though sighted at its finishing stage and have not been branded with any official name yet. In the end, Iwuanyanwu or Hope Uzodinma convention center will be considered.
The components of the structure, about five thousand capacity space, the solidity of the project, the world class design and high rated construction test passed , will definitely shock Imolites to compare and contrast the super difference between Rochas Okorocha’s Rescue Government then and the present Governor Hope Uzodinma’s 3R shared prosperity administration projects.
-Princely Onyenwe reporting
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