Work starts soon on Umuahia six-lane road project

*As govt. begins payment of compensation

From Boniface Okoro, Umuahia

Preparatory to commencing construction work on the  six-lane Ossah-Mission Hill- Okpara square road expansion, Abia State government has started paying compensation to people of Ohuh and Ibeku communities whose building would be demolished.

The government, at a town hall engagement with the affected landlords on Friday at Ochendo International Conference Centre, Umuahia announced that payment of the compensations would commence that day as directed by Governor Alex Otti.

Issues of compensation and time frame for the affected persons to relocate to allow work to begin have delayed the work as demolition of buildings was earlier billed to start early July.

But leaders of the affected communities demanded that those whose building would be demolished should be paid their compensation in full as against government’s earlier plan to pay it in tranches.

They also asked that they be given adequate time to exhume and rebury their loved ones buried along the stretch the new lane would be constructed.

Friday’s engagement was an indication that the communities, including the affected owners of the buildings, may have reached an agreement on the contentious issues, with government accepting to pay the compensations in full before commencing construction work.

Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Mr. Chaka Chukwumerije, said that the essence of the meeting was to also notify the people that the offloads have been sent to the office of the State Accountant-General to start crediting their accounts.

The Commissioner added that the meeting served as opportunity to get further feedback from the communities in case there were any loose ends yet to be handled.

Mr Chukwumerije said: “We have already known the fact that this is an ongoing process and an engagement we have been doing for several weeks. This government, as headed by Governor Alex Otti, and as part of the development and modernization of our state capital, by extension the state, is expanding Ossah road, one of the major entrance roads into the state capital, from its present four lane road to six-lane, adding additional lane at the either sides of the road. As a result of this expansion, about 130 structures would be affected.

” We had long started the process of communicating to the various people affected, serving the relevant notices, enumeration, valuation, placing the notice of the claimants, those entitled to compensation.

“And over the past few weeks, the various claimants have been in and out of the Ministry of Lands and Housing, confirming the claims. We have received letters from one or two interested parties and the complaints have been addressed.

“Now we have come to a point, as promised by this administration, of payment of compensation before work starts on that road. We had always mentioned that we are a government that believes in due process; that in carrying out what is within the right of the government for the greater good of Abians, we will always have a human face.

” In between this process, this is the second town hall meeting we have had. We have had engagements in which we came to each of the communities affected, we have had interaction over the radio, we have also had press briefings. This is yet another town hall meeting as part of our government with a human face that carries the communities along because whatever it is we are doing, it is in the interest of you and by extension all Abians,” the Commissioner told the meeting.

“We recognize the inconveniences that might be faced at the moment and that is why we talked about fair compensation, in line with the law. That is why we have given sufficient time for those affected to relocate.

” Payment of compensation have started. The process is online and direct crediting of the account of each of the claimants, having collected each of their account numbers,” he added. 

Some of the members of the affected communities who spoke during the meeting appealed to government to religiously honour its words with regard to the compensation payment.

The affected persons, including Mr. Henry Ekwuribe and Mrs Cecilia Onyebuchi, among others, appreciated the development initiative as it affected the road expansion, adding that they have also been very supportive of the development.