REPORTER: PEACE AGBO
The Abia State Government has approved the construction of a Civil Service Commission Estate and a Pocket Layout Estate in Umuahia as part of efforts to ease housing challenges faced by residents of the state capital.Announcing this after the week’s State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti, the Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, briefed journalists at the Government House, Umuahia, that the approval was aimed at delivering quality and affordable housing, particularly for civil servants.Prince Kanu disclosed that the Ministry of Housing is already engaging private developers under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement for the proposed housing estates at Mbaisii and Mgbarakuma, Umuahia.The Commissioner further revealed that the state government has intensified its Urban Renewal and Modification Programme to give Umuahia the outlook of a befitting state capital. He directed landlords to remove illegal structures and carry out facelifts on dilapidated buildings, warning that defaulters would face enforcement actions by the Umuahia Capital Development Authority (UCDA).According to him, ongoing measures under the urban renewal drive include tree planting along major roads, repairs and repainting of public infrastructure, installation of perimeter fences and road signs, as well as the removal of shanties and illegal building projections.On building maintenance, Prince Kanu said landlords whose properties require facelift or routine maintenance have been given four weeks to comply or face sanctions. He added that illegal parking of commercial vehicles on roads has been banned, noting that defaulters risk having their vehicles impounded.Speaking further, the Commissioner for Housing, Architect Chiemela Uzoije, explained that the proposed estates are designed to cater for medium-income and high-income earners.Also contributing, the General Manager of the Umuahia Capital Development Authority (UCDA), Mr. Kingsley Agomuo, condemned the activities of some fleet bus drivers who park indiscriminately on streets within the metropolis, particularly around Okwuleghe and Crowther Streets, stressing that such practices would no longer be tolerated.
