Tourism in its different forms-leisure, business, adventure, and so on, has the capacity to transform a community and impact positively on the people. One of the fastest ways to develop a community is through religious tourism. This is because it attracts a large number of visitors to a particular location, inject money into economy of the area, create employment, and generally help businesses, especially hospitality businesses to thrive. That is why tourist destinations the world over spend millions on adverts to attract visitors.

Through religious tourism, the late Prophet T.B. Joshua’s Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) transformed Ikotun, a Lagos suburb into the leading religious tourism destination in Africa. A satellite town has developed in Redeemed Camp thanks to religious tourism. From just a camp for prayers, now the place has become town. In Otta, thousands from within and outside the country embark on annual pilgrimage to the town for Shiloh programme.      The latest religious tourism destination is Zion Ministry’s permanent site in Ngor Okpalla Imo State.

Founder of the ministry, Evangelist Chukwuemeka  Anozie Obi is a native of Oru West Local Government Area of Imo State.

The ministry, it was gathered,  intends pumping billions of naira to develop its more than 20,000-plot permanent site. The site would, in the next few years, transform this part of Imo State into one of the most futuristic part of the state. Currently, it is one of the most valuable places to invest in the state.

   Visiting the permanent site is a little herculean. The best is to charter a taxi to the place.  At the site, there are no major projects except at Zion Ministry site cleared with few buildings deep inside.  A yellow caterpillar can be seen packed inside the site. However, it is obvious that the land around the area had appreciated very well. Various warnings and inscription are boldly placed in different parcels of land to ward off speculators. An estate agent, Mr. Otis Ukoha said: “Ordinarily, land in that area should not be up to five hundred thousand per plot, but the least you can get a plot of land round the permanent siteisN4.2million. The land has greatly appreciated. As long the ministry continuous to hold its programme there, land in Ngor Okpalla will continue to go up.” 

The community became a place of interest as a tourism hub when close to a million members of the ministry gathered at the permanent for the final four days of the ministry’s 100 days fasting and praying in August this year.  Since then, the effect of the crusade has transformed all the neighboring communities in the area.Ngor Okpalla is off the Owerri-Aba road. From Owerri city, a visitor will turn to the right just before Imo River which is the boundary between Imo and Abia   States. From Abia State, a visitor would via left. It is a tarred inter-city road that leads to Port Harcourt. Although Zion Ministry has been around for 15 years, it started attracting attention online and in the media space with its fellowship programme in Lagos that is broadcast online. However, it gained greater attention when it was announced that the ministry has acquired more than 20,000 plots of land in Imo State for its permanent site. Apart from building an auditorium, the permanent site would have a university, other schools, a resident estate, businesses and other facilities. At the site, one could see from afar a solitary individual walking down the large expanse of cleared land. The sand is white contrasting sharply with the rich loamy soil and the green vegetation all around. The sand must have been brought from somewhere else to feel up the crusade ground. The individual inside the prayer ground stopped and knelt down.  The security personnel were to later explain that the lady had come all the way from Ghana to the prayer ground to pray. They had refused her access to the ground but after staying for three days, they had no choice than to let into the prayer ground to pray.To the security guards at the prayer ground, it was nothing new. They have been seeing visitors from within and outside the country come to the ground to pray.

Ubullu Eziama in Ngor Okpalla council area of Imo State is a rustic fledgling community. It is the closest community to the site. It has an interstate connecting road to River State.  With the interstate road, there is heavy security presence with a major checkpoint stationed just in front of the traditional ruler’s palace. Even the traditional institution in Ngor Okpalla has caught the Zion Ministry frenzy. Stickers of Zion Ministry adorn the palace’s entrance. In the main building, there is also Zion Ministry’s almanac with bold colourful picture of Evangelist Ebuka Obi.While the traditional ruler; a man in his seventies welcomed the writer. When asked about the Zion Ministry and its impact the religious would have on his community  , he politely insisted that he was under instruction not grant interview on anything about the Zion Ministry’s permanent site in his domain.  However, he never said where the instruction was coming from.

While the location of the permanent site has put Ngor Okpalla on the map as a religious destination, the communities are battling with the influx of land speculators who have duped people millions of naira selling non-existent land. Evangelist Chukwuebuka Anozie Obi (Evangelist Ebuka Obi), native of Oru-West council area of Imo State, was born as a twin on October 16, 1980. The Zion Prayer Movement Outreach also known as Zion Ministry was founded in 2009. Currently based in Agor Palace Way, Okota area of Lagos, it has grown and it is reputed to have more than 170 branches worldwide.  He also runs he Seraphic Home Foundation,  an NGO for less privileged including widows, orphans, the  sick ,mentally deranged and soon.For those desirous of visiting the Zion Ministry permanent site in Imo State, there are standard hotel facilities in the Ngor Okpalla axis however, there are  a couple of new hotels springing forth in nearly Owerrinta.  With no activities in progress at the site, there are no food vendors around. If anybody is visiting the site this off crusade period, the person must make provisions for personal needs.

Although it is profitable to invest in the land in the area, investors must do their due diligence as there are many scammers capitalizing on the popularity of the area to scam unsuspecting individuals.