The commercial city of Onitsha was agog Thursday, as it
played host to a branch of the famous South African retail stores, Shoprite
which commenced operations with residents of the area displaying excitement
over the ease the mall would bring to shoppers, reports ITRealms.
The mega mall which is the first of its stores in Anambra
will be followed with the opening of the Awka and Nnewi branches respectively
to assist residents to ensure that their needs are met in one shop, and with
affordable prices, according to Anambra State governor, Chief Willie Obiano.
Also, the governor assured of security as he has besides
dedicating two American styled patrol vehicles to the mall also assigned police
horse riders to maintain security in the area.
The strategy, he said, is to make certain that the state
government constructs a link road through the mall to Nkewelle Ezunaka
community to ease the access to the mall for customers who are coming from
Awka, the state capital.
Earlier, the representative of African Business Alliance,
managers of the mall, Mazi Osita Okonkwo stated that the commencement of
business in the mall will herald the influx of investors in the state.
“The project costs over N6 billion, and this is an example
of what can be achieved when private firms align with the government. The
governor has offered us tremendous incentives, like the upgrading of the Park
Road and the upgrading of our power line from 11 to 33 KVA.
”This is small compared to the kind of investment that will
spring up in the state after now. Anambra is the place to be for any serious
investor, and we can testify to that,” Okonkwo said.
The Secretary to the state government, Prof Solo Chukwuelobe
who spoke on behalf of Anambra State Investment Protection and Promotion Agency
(ANSIPPA) said that the Obiano administration worked hard to bring the project to
completion, and that Obiano put in about 60 per cent of the funds for the
project.
Chukwuelobe reiterated government’s
determination to also complete the Awka and Nnewi branches as soon as possible.
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