Date Published: 08/12/11

Korean Investors propose to build Industrial Green City in OgoniLand

An eco-village project/industrial green city will be built in Khana Local Government Area.

Disclosing this while presenting a proposal to the Deputy Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly,Hon. Leyii Kwanee, at the Assembly complex in Port Harcourt,today, Mr. Charles  Echeumuna, the leader of a group, Mars International, USA, an investment firm, said the project was the first of its kind in Africa and the third in the whole world.

He said the choice of Khana was because of its rich ecological habitat. Speaking further, Mr. Echeumuna said the city is a type of community development that ensures preservation of the eco-system in an environment and to fast track its economic and social development.

He said in such community, a clean, healthy and safe environment is of paramount importance.

Also speaking, a member of the group, an expatriate, Mr. John Kim, said the eco-village is a new strategy in urban development that began in South Korea and is spreading to other countries such as Vietnam.

He said the city, when constructed will have residential housing estate, waterfront hotels, a golf course and an industrial quarters.

The would-be city, he said, because of its special ecological balance will be a tourist attraction.

Mr.Kim pointed out that electricity in the proposed city will have photovoltaic solar panels that will ensure uninterrupted electricity power supply.

It will also ensure a hyper-waste reduction through recycling such that only one percent of waste need be buried in landfills, he said. The project will ensure that water is made pure through a solar powered desalination plant.

He assured that the developers will leave the city’s biodiversity untouched and only low-emission vehicles will be encouraged.

“The Korean government is ready to come and invest”, he said

Also speaking, Mr. Barisi Needom, an American Based Ogoni indigene who is part of the group, said the proposed city will create employment, attract industries and ensure high productivity.

He commended the Deputy Speaker for attracting the investment and appealed to the state government to provide adequate enabling environment for the city to take off.

In his own speech, Mr. Dom Bari, the Adviser to the Deputy Speaker on International Matters, said the project would help accelerate development in the area and appealed to the people for support and cooperation.

Responding, the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Leyii Kwanee, thanked them for showing interest to invest in his constituency.

He assured that he will give every support for them to succeed adding that he will embark on consultation with the state government, communities and people with a view to sensitizing them about the project so that they can be partners.

“My friends from Korea and America,I want to thank you for your interest to invest in my constituency. There is one thing I assured the people of my constituency during the period of electioneering campaign that I was going to make the area a model constituency in the state, worth of emulation”.

“You went on tour of the area and you will agree with that the state is now peaceful and any investor should feel free to invest in the state. The Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi has ensured the security of the state and it is now an investor heaven”.