Abia to demolish 160 buildings for construction of Umuahia six-lane road project
…Govt. assures on compensation
From Boniface Okoro, Umuahia
Abia State government has disclosed that 160 buildings would be demolished to create access for expansion of the Ossah – Okpara Square Road leading into Umuahia metropolis from Abia Tower along the Enugu-Aba-Port Harcourt expressway into a six-lane road.
This was disclosed on Thursday by a government delegation on sensitisation visit to communities that would be affected by the capital city road expansion project.
According to the delegation, led by the State Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Mr. Chaka Chukwumerije, demolition notices have already been despatched to owners of the buildings that would be pulled down to give way for the construction of the six-lane road.
The government team equally informed the communities’ leaders during their interactions that the second demolition notice would soon be served to those affected.
They told the natives that
internal and external valuations have been done and that a step-by-step action, with guiding rules, would be applied in the demolition exercise.
Earlier,at the public enlightenment outreaches at Eziama na Mgbaja; Okpu Isingwu, Uzzi na Akpizu and Isingwu autonomous communities in Umuahia North Local Government Area, the Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Mr. Chaka Chukwumerije, disclosed the Ministry had already done the enumeration and valuation of the buildings, adding that external valuers were also engaged.
While notifying them that compensations would be made within the ambits of the law, he pointed out that the present administration has a human face, hence the ample consideration given to sensitising the communities before embarking on the demolition and expansion exercise.
“We embarked on this public enlightenment as the government of Dr. Alex Chioma Otti believes in due process while still being in a hurry to develop the state…We will give a human face to all decisions taken as we are all Abians,” the Commissioner said.
Speaking also, a representative of the Attorney-General of the State, Barr. Mrs. Oge Maduka, assured the communities that everything would be done within the ambit of the law, maintaining further that the expansion was for the best interest of the communities involved and Abians in general.
According to her, the presence of the Attorney-General in the sensitisation visit was to also assure that the job would not only be done as stipulated, but would also be done well and peacefully too.
She explained that the purpose for the sensitisation visit was for the natives to have the assurance of the government and a fair agreement reached.
The Special Assistant to the Governor on Lands and Housing, Estate Surveyor Pastor Okorougo Aji, Senior Special Assistant on Homeland Security, Mr. Chukwunenye Alajemba, in their deperate speeches, assured that Governor Otti would not let the Ossah people and other communities affected down since it was a development with a positive impact that was coming their way.
Similarly, the Chairman Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, Mr. Steve Nwazue, a Director in the Ministry of Lands and Housing, Mr. Augustine Ucheibe and a representative of Umuahia Capital Development Authority, Arc. Amos Chinedu, explained that standard measures as they affect enumeration of buildings and evaluation for compensation were deployed in the exercise.
In their seperate responses, the traditional ruler of Eziama na Mgbaja Ossah Autonomous Community; Eze Chiabuto Emelike, his counterparts from Isingwu Autonomous Community, Eze Daniel Ukaegbu and Okpu Isingwu Autonomous Community, Eze Kingsley Emekobum, as well as Eze Joshua Akomas of Uzzi na Akpizu Autonomous Community; a Traditional Prime Minister, Mr. Christopher Onwuegbu, and the President-General of Eziama na Mgbaja Ossah Autonomous Community, Mr. Obiakaraije Dandy Ndukwe, expressed their happiness over the road expansion initiative of Governor Otti but passionately appealed that compensations should also be paid to those who inherited their ancestral lands and those who genuinely owned properties but without Certificate of Occupancy.
While congratulating the Lands and Housing Commissioner on his appointment, they assured that they would not work against the government since they earnestly prayed for Dr. Otti’s emergence as governor.
They community leaders described their engagement with the Commissioner and his team on the road project as meaningful.
Recall that the State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, in June this year, told Abians that he eould soon commence remodelling of Umuahia to make it a befitting state capital.
Commissioner for Information, Prince Okay Kanu, subsequently disclosed that the government would soon embark on expansion of the Ossah -Okpara Square Road into six-lanes.
Currently, the road has only two lanes, stretching from the Enugu/Port Harcourt Express Tower Junction to Michael Okpara Square.
According to a statement by the Directors of Information of the Ministry, Sir Uzomba Ekwurine and Josephine Ogwo, the Commissioner for Lands and Housing was accompanied during the sensitisation campiagn by the representative of Attorney General, Barr. Mrs Oge Maduka, Commissioner for Works, represented by Izima Chinomso, Special Adviser on Lands and Housing, ESV Pastor Okorougo Aji, Senior Special Assistant on Homeland Security, Mr. Chukwunenye Alajemba, a representative of Umuahia Capital Development Authority, among others.
