Tony Okafor, Awka
The Anambra State Commissioner for Culture, Tourism and Entertainment, Don Onyenji has said the government of Prof Chukwuma Soludo plans to build a world-class tourism and leisure park at Agulu Lake in the Anaocha Local Government Area of the state.
Onyenji who disclosed this to our correspondent in Awka, the Anambra State capital at the weekend,said the tourism and leisure park when completed would be a major tourist destination and a veritable source of clientele for the Golden Tulip Hotel situated on the Agulu lake environment.
He said the governor was passionate about the project as it is in line with the vision and mission of creating a liveable, lovable and prosperous new Anambra conducive and congenial for everyone, adding that there were a lot of things in the tourism sector yet unknown which he said would be unravelled by the Soludo administration.
The Commissioner said the Soludo government was working horizontally and vertically across all sectors of Anambra economy and that the government was succeeding, expressing optimism that when what was already on the ground would start germinating, the people would be perplexed at the quantum of positive results they would see, adding that the Soludo administration was coming with huge surprises.
Onyenji said his ministry had received visitors from the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, National Tourism Development Commission and National Museums and Monuments, who visited Ogbunike cave in Oyi Local Government Area of the state and testified to its global appeal and revenue potential.
He said efforts had been intensified to place Ogbunike Cave on a UNICEF global heritage site where the entire world would visit and appreciate the gift of nature in the cave as a major destination for tourists all over the world.
Apart from the Ogbunike Cave, the Commissioner noted that other tourist sites across Anambra state like the Oba-Ukwu Cave and Waterfalls at Owerre-Ezukala, Igboukwu Museum, Zik Mausoleum in Onitsha and some others would be upgraded to international standard while communities would produce their own heritage sites so that those who weer yet unknown would be known.
Again, he said that the development of the tourist sites in the state would amount to employment opportunities for the citizenry, boost the revenue of the state and most importantly attract the traffic of tourists from all over the world to Anambra state for leisure and expeditions.