(DDM) – Chief Longers Anyanwu, a senior member of the Imo State Elders Forum, has called on Governor Hope Uzodimma to restore the historical Imo Hotel at Abadaba Wonder Lake.
Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) gathered that Anyanwu described the over 40-year-old abandoned site as a strategic asset capable of boosting tourism in Imo State.
Speaking with journalists in Owerri on Friday, Anyanwu noted that only Governor Uzodimma possesses the political will, courage, and business foresight to turn the neglected hotel into a major tourist attraction.
He urged the governor to personally visit or send a team to inspect Abadaba Wonder Lake, which straddles Obowo and Ihitte Uboma local government areas.
Anyanwu, a prominent businessman and politician, said the governor’s Shared Prosperity and 3R initiatives could uncover a hidden tourism treasure left dormant since the late Chief Sam Onunaka Mbakwe’s administration in 1983.
He emphasized the historical significance of Abadaba Wonder Lake, noting that the abandoned hotel sits on the site of the old Abadaba colonial court.
“The court’s jurisdiction once covered the old Etiti, Mbaise, and part of Mbano divisions,” Anyanwu said, highlighting the scenic mountain location in Elugwu village.
He recalled that the hotel project during Mbakwe’s administration was designed to capitalize on the lake’s tourism potential, incorporating colonial court relics and the Nwa-DC residence with a colonial-style ambiance.
“The uncompleted structures, after more than 40 years of neglect, still stand strong like the Rock of Gibraltar,” he added.
Anyanwu expressed optimism that the governor, once aware of the hotel’s potential, would implement business models to transform it into a thriving tourist destination.
He highlighted the site’s proximity to Umuahia as an advantage for tourism and commercial viability.
“I can sense Governor Uzodimma’s urgency to make Imo State the most economically viable state in the South East and across Nigeria,” Anyanwu said.
He concluded that rehabilitating Imo Hotel at Abadaba Wonder Lake would align with the governor’s vision of industrial development and regional tourism growth.