The Federal Government says it is determined to create enabling environment to address the housing deficit in the country.
Speaking recently while inaugurating the 68 housing units, under the National Housing Programme (NHP), phase 1, in Avu, Owerri West council, Imo State, the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Emeka Nwajiuba, said the gesture of the commissioning of the completed houses in collaboration with the Imo State government would reduce the problem of housing in the state.
During the occasion, which witnessed the handing over of free houses to the 1994 Super Eagles team from Imo State, Alloy Agu, Emmanuel Amunike and Uche Okafor, in fulfilment of the promise made by the Federal Government, Nwajiuba, urged the beneficiaries to make good use of the houses.
Speaking, the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, represented by the Special Adviser / General Manager of the Owerri Capital Development Authority (OCDA), Francis Chukwu, an engineer, lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for the realisation of the project in the state, expressing optimism that the housing units would tackle to an extent, housing needs of Imo people.
The houses consist of 28 units of the two-bedroom bungalow, 16 units of three -bedroom bungalows and 24 units in condominiums (one bedroom (four), two-bedroom (16) and three-bedroom (four).
Present at the event were Zonal Director Federal Ministry of Works and Housing for Southeast zone, Uzo Dimma, an architect, and the Federal Controller of Works and Housing for Imo State, Dennis Daniel.
In another development, the Imo State Governor has warned land grabbers and illegal allottees of risking revocation, stressing that at the appropriate time they would blame themselves. Uzodimma said this at the weekend in Owerri.
His words: “I have not approved the allocation of land to anybody including myself. It is no longer business as usual – don’t waste your money, don’t throw away your money – the government will take back land that belongs to the government.”
He directed the Ministry of Lands and the OCDA to mark all the lands that were illegally developed, warning those parading fake papers marked by the Federal Government, to note that only he can allocate lands; not even the communities, adding that he can approve after the compensation for economic trees and crops.
Uzodimma continued: “Let no company or individual under any name or guise go to any community to sign a Memorandum of Understanding to acquire land. The days are gone somebody will take the government’s land and give to his wife, give to his brother and give to his sister.”
Also, the state government has announced a series of ways for ease of doing business in land administration processes.
The Commissioner for Lands, Survey and Physical Planning, Kezie Ogaziechi, disclosed this in a statement made available to The Guardian yesterday.
Under the new resolve, “quick and seamless service delivery” has been put in place. The following measures include a Help desk / Search office to deal with all the land-related matters, such as “registration of power of attorney property search, deeds, survey deposit/lifting, charting, town planning and Owerri schedule (ground rent) and other relevant matters,” were put in place.
He said the measures came as a result of the complaints of delays, stressing that a “one-stop business desk” was desirable for transparent, efficient and effective services on land matters.