Okonkwo Samuel
By Valentine Obienyem
Obi started three Shopping Malls in the state, Awka, Onitsha and Nnewi. The Onitsha own has been concluded and is in use because it was handled by a company that also provided the funding. The only commitment of the state government was acquiring the land and dualising the entrance road, which Obi fulfilled.
Beside it is the Hotel and Conference Centre which Obiano, rather than complete, made attempts to buy through proxies.
Obiano abandoned the other two malls the state government was doing. Seeing the gaps, Roban Shop and others have moved to close the gap.
I have attached the pictures of the Awka shopping mall to show the abandonment. Also attached is the abandoned Onitsha Hotel.
Would completing the mall serve more useful purpose than the useless Conference Hall? I call it useless with its opposite -usefulness- in mind. It does not mean it is not imposing or beautiful, but of what use? We are therefore concerned with utility value.
To unfortunate youths, bolstered by 5k data money monthly to attack Val, my question to you is: “ How many events do you think the useless Conference Centre will host in a year? In effect, in the next one year the Centre may not host any event. This is what I mean by the irrationality of the conception of that project.
In few days, Obiano would hand over, yet all the critical roads and junctions in Awka are in bad shape.
Most painful is that the contractor that handled the Conference Centre is still being owed over 1 billion Naira. How would Soludo repay all the debt?
