Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo on Monday said that the construction of Imo Industrial Park located at Asa community in Ohaji/Egbema Area of the state would cost N 2 billion dollars.
Okorocha, who made the disclosure when he visited the state council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Owerri, said the park would stimulate economic activities in Imo, when fully developed.
“The Imo Industrial Park, which will include a gas plant at Asa in Ohaji, is the brain child of my government.
“It will be constructed under public/private partnership agreement and a foreign firm will fund the project with over $2 billion.
“Though the project may not be completed before 2019, but my appeal is that whosoever that will succeed me should support the project and see to its completion because the project will stimulate economic activities in Imo,” he said.
The governor, who listed various developmental projects he embarked on since assumption of office, said that his vision was to turn the state to one of the best for business in the world.
“When I assumed office as governor in 2011, most governors who visited Owerri usually did not like to pass a night in Owerri because the hospitality industry and the environment was still not up to acceptable international standard.
“Today, we receive hundreds of letters from groups requesting government’s approval for them to hold their programmes in Owerri,” he said.
According to him, the state can now boost of a lot of world class hospitality firms.
“Government is planning to organise three months training for the hospitality workers on ways to enhance their service delivery,” the governor stated.
On agricultural programme, Okorocha said that mega farms would be established in each of the 27 local government areas, while each commissioner, schools, churches, and professional bodies would be encouraged to set up farms.
He also said he would expand the executive council members to enable him realise the concluding programmes and projects already listed by his administration.
He said that after the urban renewal projects, from September 2017, he would commence the construction of 540km of rural roads spread across the 27 local government areas of the state.
Okorocha appealed to illustrious sons and daughters of Imo to invest at home, saying, “bringing your investments home is a better way to develop Imo and address the problem of unemployment and insecurity”. (NAN)