Umuahia six-lane project: Govt. shifts demolition of 160 buildings by 21 days

…Promises to pay compensation before demolishing structures

From Boniface Okoro, Umuahia

Abia State government has put on hold, its plan to commence demolition of 160 buildings preceding the actual construction work to expand Ossah Road leading from the Tower on the Enugu-Aba-Port Harcourt expressway to Okpara Square in Umuahia metropolis.

The Commissioner for Information and Culture, Prince Okey Kanu, and his Lands and Housing counterpart, Mr. Chaka Chukwumerije, announced the postponement of the demolition exercise during a joint Press briefing at Government House, Umuahia, on the outcome of this week’s State Executive Council meeting chaired by Governor Alex Otti.

They said the demolition exercise, earlier scheduled to start on Monday, August 14, 2023 has been moved by three weeks.

The Commissioners explained that the shift in the commencement of the demolition exercise was to enable government to start payment of compensation to owners of the affected buildings before embarking on the demolition exercise and also to give all those affected more time to relocate, evens as further engagements with all stakeholders continues.

 “As regards the Ossah road expansion project, from the Tower to Okpara Square, the actual day for the commencement of demolition of structures has been moved forward, about three weeks and the reason is simple: this is a listening government, a responsible one; and as we said, engagement with the affected communities is ongoing to ensure that all the stakeholders involved are brought into the net. “After three weeks, with further engagements with the people affected, with further awareness and all that and paying compensation to those affected, the demolition exercise will commence,” the Commissioner for Information and Culture said.

Kanu said that notices on how the compensation would be paid would soon be issued to those affected, pointing out that government, through the Commissioner for Lands and Housing, has been engaging with stakeholders of the affected communities. “Those conversations are ongoing and they have been fruitful,” he added.

Throwing more light of the project, the Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Mr. Chaka Chukwumerije, reiterated that government would pay compensation, though in tranches, before embarking on the demolition of the affected buildings.

“We are a government, not in a hurry to demolish, but in a hurry to develop the state, and by extension the state capital and planning for the future expansion of the city,” the Commissioner stressed, adding that government would follow due process in dealing with the issue of compensation and in executing the project.

Mr Chukwumerije said: “With respect to the Ossah Road expansion from Tower to Okpara Square, expanding it from its present four-lane structure to six-lane structure. As such, an additional lane is added on either side of the road. To accommodate the expansion, 160 structures are affected.

“However, as a government that believes in the rule of law and due process, all the 160 structures affected by the road expansion were enumerated and our internal valuers and external valuers are assessing the values.

“And as said by the Honourable Commissioner for Information, notice of amount due for compensation will be passed on to everyone due for compensation within the ambit of the law. And in applying the law, we are also a government that has a human face.

“Revocation notice had been served weeks back, demolition notice had also been served. Based on our timeline, demolition was meant to commence today (Monday, August 14, 2023) but being a listening government, as a result of our community engagements – we have been to each community along that axis, we have also had town hall meeting and we have also had a number of radio programmes, sensitizing those affected and having interactions.

“So, demolition has been moved forward by three weeks and before demolition starts, compensation is going to be paid in tranches. And before demolition starts, we would have commenced the tranche payment of compensation.

“Some of the topical issues we came across during our engagements are: Are we going to pay compensation? Yes, we are going to pay compensation to everyone entitled to compensation within the ambit of the law. And in applying the law, we will have a human face. When are we going to pay compensation? We are going to start the process of paying compensation before we start demolition. Compensation would be paid in tranches. When are we starting demolition? Demolition was due to start today, but being a responsive government, we have moved that forward by about three weeks to start payment of compensation and to give those affected more time to evacuate before the work starts.”

He added that the communities have received the development positively.     

It was gathered that the affected communities, in their various engagements with government, have accepted the project but demanded that they be paid compensation before demolition of the affected buildings commences. They also appealed to government to give them more time, saying as native communities, the needed to exhume the remains of their ancestors and rebury them.

The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs Ngozi Felix, was present during the Press Briefing and spoke about the State’s August Women Conference holding today and its benefits to women and the state.