Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, has revoked the illegal land entitlement at the Tropicana layout, reinstating the area’s original master plan.
Fielding questions from Government House Correspondents after his inspection of the area allotted for the ARISE Shopping City, in Uyo on Tuesday, Eno warned people against encroachment or acquisition of government land for any personal purpose.
“Even though the land has not been put to use for years, there has been so much of encroachments. That is why I came in here and revoked every title and activity that was happening here different from the original master plan,” he stated.
Governor Eno disclosed that his vision to create a world-class tourism hub in the State, is the reason that he decided to further the building of the hitherto abandoned 5,000-seat capacity Ibom International Convention Centre and the 200-bedroom Ibom International Hotel, while also initiating the Ibom International Shopping City to complete the ecosystem.
“We are trying to create a tourism ecosystem for the State. And, we have been blessed by previous administrations to have laid this foundation, and we are building on this to better our State,” he stressed.
According to the Governor “We are trying to ensure that we revive tourism. That is the hallmark for our State. We have all the infrastructure to become the best tourist destination in this country, and we are building on it. That is our strong point.”
He further explained, “Whether this is in Uyo, Ikot Abasi, Ikot Ekpene or Oron, we will build all our tourism potentials and assets; whether it is culture and heritage, medical, agriculture, or aviation.
We are going to put them together into a tourism Master plan that will help our State.”
He noted that the addition of the ARISE Shopping City to the area is to create a hub for tourists, which means they can attend their event, have a place to lodge, do their shopping and access recreational facilities at one spot .
“We need a Shopping City with international brands where tourists would come here and can stroll in to have their leisure, vacation, and recreational comfort.
“So, instead of going to all those big places where tickets are very expensive, you can get them all here, same quality, same top brands. That is what the ARISE Shopping City connotes,” he said.
The Governor disclosed that the proposed ARISE Shopping City has a 12-month timeline for completion, adding that with the State’s quality road network and peaceful ambience, it was about to experience a huge boost in its tourism investment and traffic when the state-of-the-art hospitality, recreational, and shopping city infrastructures are completed.
“It is against this backdrop that we are building on. We will not allow anyone, no matter how highly placed, to disrupt the peace and harmony of Akwa Ibom State,” he emphasized.
