Outrage As Gov Mimiko Demolishes Owena Hotel. Plans N1.651 billion Mall

Hundreds of Ondo indigenes are currently out of job due to the demolition of the premier Owena Motel, Akure, to pave way for the proposed Shopping Mall in the State capital, but the State Governor Olusegun Mimiko said he only wanted to emulate the achievements of Lagos Sate.

The aggrieved indegenes described the demolition of the hotel for the building of a shopping mall as a waste of public asset and destruction of heritage of the people built by their founding fathers. But while reacting, the State Commissioner for Information in Ondo State, Mr Kayode Akinmade said, "Why would someone or a group of people query the decision of the Executive committee's decision? Are they the owner of the said land? Its a government property for God's sake. Someone that owns a land said he needed his land so should that create a problem? Don't forget that this development would also create a room for a five star hotel which Owena Motel doesn't have before. People are not seeing this and other benefit it will have on the state, all they could see is the short hardship for the less than 160 people that the proposed establishment. Don't forget that by the time the project is completed it will create work for over 2,000 people and make Akure a more cosmopolitan place."

The State Governor Dr. Olusegun Mimiko had said the construction of the shopping mall and car park will gulp about N1.651 billion and that its being funded by Top Services Nigeria Limited under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) established by the administration. The projects scheduled to be completed within 15 months is located within the premises of the state owned Owena Motels on Igbatoro Road, Akure and close to the state’s multibillion naira event centre popularly called ‘Dome’. Mimiko said the concept is to transform Akure into a Modern Retail Shopping City and an entertainment hub for Ondo State and its environ with a capacity to employ at least 2,000 people with an expected 5 Star Hotel that will take the place of the outdated Owena Motel in no distant time. Top Services Ltd, the company that is executing the contract is a consortium of developers that has been in existence for close to 20 years. Similar projects completed by the company include; The Shopping Mall (Shoprite) at Adeniran Ogunsanya at Surulere, Apapa Mall both in Lagos, the Kwara Shopping Mall and the Shoprite by Cocoa House at Ibadan and many more.