Chief Longers Anyanwu, a frontline member of the Imo State Elders Forum, has appealed to Governor Hope Uzodimma to rehabilitate the over 40-year-old abandoned historical Imo Hotel at Abadaba Wonder Lake as a strategic initiative to boost the state’s tourism potential.
Anyanwu disclosed this on Friday while speaking with journalists in Owerri on the state of Imo under Governor Uzodimma.
“Only the Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma, has the political will, tenacious patriotic courage, and futuristic business acumen to turn the abandoned Imo Hotel at Abadaba Wonder Lake into another tourism heaven,” he said.
He passionately advised the governor to find time from his busy schedule to either visit the site personally or send a team to Abadaba Wonder Lake, located between Obowo and Ihitte Uboma local government areas.
Anyanwu, a business mogul and astute politician, assured that the ‘Shared Prosperity and 3R’ administrative mantra of Governor Uzodimma would help unlock the hidden treasure and tourism potential of the abandoned site, left untouched since the era of the late Chief Sam Onunaka Mbakwe in 1983.
He highlighted the historical importance of Abadaba Wonder Lake, noting that the abandoned Imo Hotel is situated on the same site where the famous Abadaba Court once operated.
“The court’s jurisdiction during the colonial era covered the old Etiti, Mbaise, and part of Mbano divisions. A beautiful site located on top of a mountain in a village called Elugwu.
“The hotel project, established during Mbakwe’s administration, leveraged the tourism potential of Abadaba Wonder Lake and the relics of the colonial court premises, including the residence of the Nwa-DC with its colonial GRA ambience,” Anyanwu explained.
He added, “The good news is that, after over 40 years of abandonment, the uncompleted buildings (bricks) are still standing strong, like the Rock of Gibraltar.”
Anyanwu expressed optimism that if the governor’s attention is drawn to the abandoned asset and its potential, the administration could develop viable business models to turn the site into a major tourism destination, benefiting from its proximity to Umuahia and surrounding areas.
“I can read the mood of Governor Uzodimma. He is determined to make Imo State the most viable state in the South-East and Nigeria at large.
“This can be achieved through the rehabilitation of the Imo Hotel at Abadaba Wonder Lake as part of his industrial vision,” he passionately advised.
