Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has laid the foundation of an Ecumenical Center in Umuagu, Umuahia North Council, stating that the project is being financed with his personal resources. The center, which will have a capacity for 1,000 worshippers, is part of activities marking his administration's three years in office.
Foundation Laying Ceremony
The foundation laying ceremony was attended by numerous clergymen and women, led by former Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Abia State chapter, Bishop Chikezie Elekwa, along with other eminent men of God who prayed for the success of the project. Governor Otti disclosed that the center is in fulfillment of a past vow he made to God.
“This centre was one of the things we had vowed to do when we came into office. This land where we are standing was acquired in 2009 and has somehow remained fallow waiting for this day,” Otti said.
Funding and Land Acquisition
According to the governor, the Ecumenical Center will not be funded with Abia State government money but solely from his private purse. “The Ecumenical Centre is not going to be built with government money. No dime from the state government will go in there. I have already provided the land. I bought that land in 2009, that’s 17 years ago,” he declared.
Project Details and Timeline
The contractor handling the project, Architect Onuka Ukwa, stated that the 1,000-worshipper Ecumenical Centre will be completed according to the terms of the agreement. He explained that the design caters to all churches in the state regardless of denomination and assured that the project would be delivered within 18 months. “It’s a multi-purpose, very functional building, and we hope to complete the building within 18 months from now. I would thank His Excellency, Governor Otti, for his trust in us, and we promise that we will deliver the project to his very high expectations,” Ukwa said.
