The Governor Theodore Orji-led government in Abia State on Sunday used the occasion of a victory thanksgiving service to showcase the multi-billion naira new International Conference Centre (ICC) built by the administration.

Located at Ogurube Layout (formerly Government Station Layout) in Umuahia, capital of God's Own State, the ICC is a monumental building that would soon define the status and ambience of Umuahia, and by extension, the outlook of the capital city and Abia as a whole.

The ICC, a sprawling building with over 5,000 sitting capacity auditorium, six large conference halls where different events could hold simultaneously and 16 centres for transmission of events in different languages, is now the centre of attraction, from where Abia would be beamed to the world.

It has an inerter that could supply power for 12 hours in case of failure of public power supply as well as robotic cameras and other modern gadgets that ease electronic transmission without the usual Outside Broadcast Van.

The victory service, an occasion the governor used to express his gratitude to God for sustaining him in office in the past eight years and to thank Abians for their support, is the maiden event to be hosted at the ICC.

The Inter-denominational thanksgiving service also featured special prayers, songs and thanksgiving.

Governor Orji, while addressing the congregation, thanked Abians for their massive support over the past years which he said saw him through governance.

“Being governor is not easy as a leader has to endure many things,” Orji remarked and thanked God for seeing him through his tenure as Governor.

He appealed to Abians to extend the same support they gave to him to his successor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, and expressed optimism that the incoming governor would excel in office.

Governor Orji used the forum to appeal to those he may have offended in the course of his job as governor to forgive him, saying that it was not intentional but done in the interest of the state.

In his sermon earlier, the Archbishop of Aba Ecclesiastical Province of the Anglican Communion and Bishop of Umuahia Diocese, Most Rev. Ikechi Nwosu, said that Governor Orji would be remembered for his patience and the general development he brought to the State.

According to him, apart from infrastructure development, Governor Orji brought peace, security, healthcare as well as partnered well with churches in the state, in addition to human capacity building especially by empowering youths.

•Photo shows Orji

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