The multi-billion naira International Hotel, Abakaliki, will be inaugurated in December, Chief Mathias Adum, Ebonyi Commissioner for  Culture and Tourism, has said.

The hotel,  located on the old Abakaliki_Enugu road,  was initiated 10 years ago by Dr Sam Egwu, a former civilian governor of  the state.

Adum said in Port Harcourt on Monday that the Martins Elechi administration had achieved 90 per cent completion of  the hotel project.

“The International Hotel Abakaliki is nearing completion; we have achieved more than 90 per cent completion and we hope to commission the project in December 2010 when we expect Mr President to visit Ebonyi,” he said.

Adum said   government’s huge investment on the project was due largely to the basic developmental philosophy of the  administration.

“ Gov Elechi’s government is operating a policy thrust of  making Ebonyi the tourists’ hub of the South/East geo_political zone.

“ He also believes in the philosophy of  completing projects inherited from the previous administrations so as to accelerate development,” the commissioner said.He said Ebonyi’s comparative advantage over other states in the zone was its peaceful nature.

“We expect investors to take advantage of  the relative peace and other incentives the state has provided in the tourism sector to enable us realise the dream of making Ebonyi a tourist’s destination.

“Ebonyi is an untapped area for investors in the tourism industry; we have numerous sites that can meet both local and international leisure and government is willing to offer tax holidays to investors, ” he said.

Adum  also said N33 million had been approved for the renovation and upgrading of  Ebonyi Hotel, Afikpo, which was  recently affected by windstorm.

“ My ministry is seriously putting necessary instruments in place for the tourism industry to blossom in Ebonyi,” he said.