Abia procures land for FHA Estate heritage city.

—also another for three cities under UN-HABITA.

EMELAM UDO, UMUAHIA.

The Abia state government has appreciated and commended Isiokata and Umunkwo communities, Ntigha, Isiala Ngwa North Local government Area of Abia state for donating parcels of land for Federal Housing Authority Estate and Heritage City (New Town layout) projects in the state.

Chief Francis Chidi Onwuchuruba, the state Commissioner for Lands, Survey and Urban Planning made the commendation during the town hall meeting with the leaderships of the two donor communities in their various domains.

He charged other communities to emulate Isiokota and Umunkwo communities for partnering with the state government in bringing development to their communities.

The Land commissioner appreciated men, women and youths of the two communities for supporting the government to develop the state by donating their land.

Onwuchuruba who insisted that development must be on land assured the donor communities of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s resolve to pay compensation for their land acquired by the government.

The Commissioner lauded Dr. Ngozi Ogbonna Erondu, the chairperson and Executive secretary of Abia state Diaspora Commission and Mrs Chinyere Anokwuru, South-East Zonal Board, Federal Housing Authority for their support and resilience in the process of the acquisition.

He disclosed that government was in a hurry to actualize the projects for the benefit of the people and development of the state and commended all for their patriotism.

Onwuchuruba who also paid a courtesy call on HRH, Eze Jacob Uzodinma Akoma, the traditional Ruler of Amapu, Ntigha Autonomous Community commended the Royal father for his support to the state government and Ministry of Land, Survey and Urban Planning, in Umuahia and assured him and members of his cabinet of government’s resolve to attract more development to their domain.

Earlier in his speech, Eze Akoma thanked the commissioner for his visit and kind words adding that he would ensure that the acquisition was seamless and hitch-free.

Nze Raphael Onwunali, the Traditional Prime Minister and Bob Ohuocha, a stakeholder in the community among others assured the commissioner of their cooperation adding that the communities would constitute Land committee in line with his directive. They assured tha

They would liaise with the Ministry to draft the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and promptly pay compensation to the donors.

Speaking on the developmental trajectory of the Federal Housing Authority Estate land acquisition, Aaron Ikechi Bestman, the immediate past Permanent Secretary of the Ministry revealed that the acquisition was a realization of long dream.

Bestman who also expressed his happiness over the realization of the acquisition revealed that this was actualized during his tenure as the Permanent Secretary.

He also hinted the various steps initiated and executed by the various department towards the realization of the acquisition.

The Permanent secretary expressed optimism that Governor Okezie Ikpeazu would soon perform the ground breaking ceremony of the project to the delight of Abia state citizenry who had since creation of the state yearned for such project.

In a similar development, recently Aaron Ikechi Bestman, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Land, Survey and Urban Planning flagged of the commencement of master plan of three cities in Abia state by the United Nations (UN)-Habitat at Osisioma Ngwa Town Planning office.

While addressing a three-man delegation led by Omoayena Odunbaku, Human Settlement Officer and Project Coordinator, UN-Habitat, Anglophone West Africa, top management of the Ministry, Town Planning Executive Secretaries in the state and other stakeholders across the built up industry, Bestman appreciated Governor Ikpeazu for providing the resources and logistic support for the commencement of the project.

He described the flag-off as long dream that has come to fulfillment and realization and called for the support of every citizen to ensure successful implementation of the structural plan which he noted was key to environmentally and socially sustainable cities.

Odunbaku, the team leader of the UN-Habitat while addressing stakeholders earlier, appreciated the State government for its resilience and political will leading to the flag-off of the project in Abia state.

He disclosed that UN-Habitat was in the business of transforming cities and Human settlements through knowledge, policy advice, technical assistance and collaborative action.

The UN-Habitat team leader further hinted that the team was on a scooping mission to Aba to provide an update on the scope of structured plan to be prepared and to also look at project documents with Town Planning Professionals and other stakeholders in the built up industry.

It would be recalled that because of paucity funds to take on the three cities at a time, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu approved that project should start from Aba which has no master plan from inception and progress to Umuahia and Ohafia.

It was learnt that so far, the state government has invested about N120million in the project

The delegation traversed Aba, Ugwunnagbo, Ukwa East/West and Obingwa Local government Areas of the state to evaluate the scope of the project