Abia Assembly to investigate abandoned estates in Umuahia, others

Posted by FN Editor | 5 years ago | 1,670 times




Abia State House of Assembly has resolved to investigate the reasons behind the plethora of incomplete and abandoned estates that dot the State with a view to sanctioning erring developers who prey on the government's desire to provide housing for its citizens, and get government to give them large expanse of land for little or no fee among such other incentives under the PPP system only for them to abandon the project just shortly after taking off. 


This followed a motion moved under Matters of Urgent Public Importance by Hon Stanley Nwabuisi, lawmaker representing Ikwuano State Constituency.

The lawmaker lamented that Abia State was fast becoming a State of abandoned estates which are in turn converted by criminals and hoodlums to their hideout and base of operations.

He therefore urged the House to look into the matter in order to separate genuine developers from those who are not so that the housing policy of the state government will not continue to suffer setbacks.


Contributing to the motion, Honourable Jerry Uzosike, Mandela Obasi, Aaron Uzodike, Mike Ukoha, Ginger Onwusibe and Okey Igwe, gave their support to the motion with some calling for a more detailed work to know why the situation has remained as it is before wielding the big stick.


After all the deliberations, the Speaker, Rt Hon Chinedum Orji, said "If you come into a city and the first thing you see is abandoned houses everywhere, the first thing that comes to mind is that the government is not working, but it is the same government that has encouraged private investors by entering a PPP arrangement with them to provide housing for the people.

If we must help this present government, then we have to do the needful. It is even possible that some of the developers might have converted their Certificates of Occupancy to other uses".


The House eventually resolved to set up a committee, with Hon Solomon Akpulonu as Chairman, to investigate the circumstances behind the abandoned estates in the State. Other members of the committee are Abraham Oba, Chukwu Chijioke, Barr Emeka Okoroafor and Barr Jerry Uzosike


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