By Emma Okereh.
A US based business man and philanthropist, Emeka Akpunku, has built a four star hotel at Aguneze Mbaise, along Owerri-Umuahia highway.
Flowing from this,
the landscape of Mbaise, a thickly populated part of Imo State, covering three local government areas will suddenly transform into urban city in a couple of months from now. This is on account of the erection of a four star hotel, Crest , the first of its kind within the vicinity, which will be opened to the public by the end of 2022. Emeka Akpunku , an indigene of Ogbe Ahiara Ahiazu Mbaise who broke the news last week said it is aimed towards development of Mbaise and all communities sharing boundaries with Mbaise, and for empowerment of citizens. .
Mr Akpunku, popularly known as ‘Akpunwa’ is an American based billionaire business man who has for over a decade committed himself and resources to great and unimaginable philanthropic engagements and also to the overall development of Mbaise.
In an interview with our reporters recently in his palatial country home, Mr Akpunku said he was moved to establish the hotel in his desire to help decongest the Owerri hotel traffic and also help develop Mbaise as a whole.
He said he is touched that the entire Mbaise nation which he described as a great nation with great sons and daughters does not boast of a standard 4 star hotel emphasizing that the hotel will at the long run serve the entire Mbaise and its neighbours like Ngor Okpala, Obowo, Ehime Mbano, Ihitte Uboma and even Umuahia, the Abia state capital.
Mr Akpunku further said that the hotel has been structured and programmed to maintain better standards than some of the very popular hotels in Owerri as it will come with a full package which includes a golf course, table and lawn Tennis, courts, basketball court, and a lot of other recreational facilities.
He assured the people of Mbaise and the entire Imo state that the best has come assuring that good standards and services will be the watch word of the hotel.
Crest is located at Agunaeze in the same Ahiazu Mbaise along the Owerri/Umuahia highway and sits on over a hundred plots of land.
At the moment, Mbaise people are full of joy and praises to Chief Akpunku for wat they refer to as a lofty initiative.
They however added that the arrival of the hotel in Mbaise did not come as a surprise as Mr Akpunku always dreams of changing the face of Mbaise.
They however added that Mr Akpunku has written his name in gold in the entire Mbaise nation through his yet to be rivalled philatropic gestures which includes building and donating a magnificent residential building to a particular congregation of Reverend Sisters who reside and operate in his native Ogbe village.
Beyond this, he had placed a lot of people in Mbaise on salaries even when they do not work for him directly and has also trained plenty youths from the area in both secondary schools and universities within the country and beyond.
The most touching according to them is the notebook which he permanently keeps at his gate for people who couldn’t see him to fill in their details and also boldly state their needs. We were informed that he goes through this notebook at the end of every day and makes payments to these people without looking back and without even knowing who they are.
They thanked God for giving them such a worthy and highly benevolent son who they claim does not have any rival in the entire Mbaise. Reports have it that Crest will start operations before the end of November.
