Governor Alex Otti announced that discussions with a well-known company for the construction of a 250-room five-star hotel in Umuahia, Abia State capital, have reached an advanced stage. He disclosed this on Friday during a civic reception held in his honour at the Umuahia Township Stadium by the people of Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South Federal Constituency. Otti revealed the site for the hotel had been identified and a partnership agreement would be signed over the weekend, with a groundbreaking ceremony imminent. He compared the project to the ongoing Radisson Blu hotel development in Aba. "I got the draft agreement, which I shall sign this weekend to bring in a partner and sign an agreement for a five-star hotel," he said, adding that the company's name would be unveiled at the groundbreaking. Otti listed other ongoing projects in Umuahia, including the Township Stadium and the Amachara Specialist Hospital. He stressed that his administration only begins projects it can complete, describing leadership as stewardship and service. "The transformation of Umuahia is at infant stages," he said, "but by the time we are done, it will never be the same again."