One of the criticisms against successive administrations in Abia State has been the inability to extend the frontiers of development of Umuahia capital city beyond the city centre. It is regrettable that nothing much has changed in the capital city, 26 years after the state creation.
Someone that left Umuahia 20 years ago on returning or visiting today, will not miss his way or get lost because of the non transformation of the city centre, because, Umuahia’s physical development has remained unchanged compared to what have been seen in some other cities created alongside Abia.
Successive governments have continued apply rhetoric on the development of the capital city as developments or infrastructural projects in the capital city leading to serious congestion in human and vehicular movement. Houses and streets are over night converted to commercial/business outfits while every available little spaces vacated by relocated government agencies have equally turn into high brow unoccupied residential estates.
The resultant effect is a struggling or stagnated city choking in development or expansion because people don’t want to go beyond the Umuahia town either to live or to transact their businesses and this has led to degrading of the environment and little impact or appreciation of whatever efforts, government is (was) making in changing the face of Umuahia Capital City.
However, this seems to be changing as there is hope in the horizon of a soon to emerge Satellite Town outside the traditional Umuahia town but within the capital city. The Satellite town no doubt is expected to extend the frontiers of development outside the traditional Umuahia town with Governor Okezie Ikpeazu giving serious political will to the project. The coming on board of the fully completed and waiting to be occupied, Mike Mbama Okiro Nigeria Police Housing Estate, Ubani Ibeku, Umuahia, will bring a big relief to the people and transformation of the capital city and this must be appreciated and sustained.
The estate which shared boundary with the ultra modern Ubani Ibeku International Market is about 15 minutes drive from the city centre and is a delightful City on its own. It boast of 1200 units of three bedroom detached and two bedroom semi detached bungalows on the reclaimed swampy Ubani rice field on the ever busy Umuahia- Uzuakoli – Arochukwu Express Road.
The estate owned by Chief Emmanuel Mbaka of Platinum Mortgage Bank is the first well-planned housing estate in Umuahia with the attendant facilities which made it one of the best in the country comparable to similar estates in Abuja, Lagos, and Port-Harcourt among others. Some of the bungalows are already fully completed, while work is seriously ongoing in other ones.
It boasts of a good road network within the estate with most of them fully tarred and with proper drainage system, a police post and some Police personnel already living in the estate thereby guaranteeing adequate 24/7 security, a well constructed security gate manned by Policemen and civilian security guards, a reticulated borehole with over 20,000 litresover head tank supplying waters to the bungalows.
The rooms are fully tiled, and of appropriate size and with convenience in each room and sitting room, a master suite with wardrobe and basin bath and enough space for expansion/garden.
Former Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mike Okiro, commissioned the estate sometime last year, during which, 50 units were allocated to men of the Nigerian Police Force and it was followed by the purchase of 10 additional units by Governor Okezie Ikpeazu for ten lucky widows who were selected and handed over the keys during a lucky dip.
However, the cheering news about the estate being fully functional and occupied is the purchase of another 600 additional units by governor Ikpeazu for civil servants and some political appointees in the state and all the processes of selection have been completed and what is being waited for, is the formal handing over of keys to lucky civil servants.
The governor has by this kind gesture demonstrated in positive term a commitment to change the face of development of Umuahia.
He has therefore strengthen the private public partnership in housing development/provision by ensuring that an estate is not just built at the outskirt of Umuahia but fully occupied to serve the purpose it was meant for.
The building stands at a princely market price of N6m for outright purchase for three bedrooms flat and N5m for the two bedrooms flat, but will see the repayment spaced across for civil servants and other state government appointees beneficiaries. Furthermore the state government have paid close to 45 per cent of the cost of each of the two bedroom bungalows for the beneficiaries.
What Gov. Ikpeazu has done is unprecedented in the annals of the state and no governor has shown such genuine commitment to the workers welfare, particularly in housing provision. The governor’s act is in line with his cardinal objectives of taking development to the next level and ensuring that the people are adequately empowered and impacted with democracy dividends.
It is equally in realization that if the actual beneficiaries are to benefit from the estate, government must assist in providing the seed money required to avoid money bags hijacking it and the estate remains a mirage.
Experiences have shown that estate of such nature is allowed to remain fallow and unoccupied and becomes a hide out for criminals and criminal activities, because those who are supposed to own and occupy it are denied such opportunity due to inability to provide a certain amount of money, while those without the need for it but have the money go ahead to purchase and lease it out at exorbitant prices.
And this account for why Amauba, Old Timber, Adelabu, Old Ministry of Lands, Isieke and Ubakala Housing Estates (and even the ongoing construction of high rise estate at old ministry of Works premises may remain) remained unoccupied and of no impact on house accommodation needs in Umuahia.
Knowing the rippling effects of an estate in the development of any city, the Ubani housing estate is expected to draw/attract development to that axis in conjunction with the Ubani Modern Market, thereby extending the frontiers of development from the Umuahia town as new satellite town comes on board. That axis will become another hub of activities with lots of outfits already springing up and with the closeness of Uzuakoli, another emerging semi urban town in the state.
Efforts must be made not to negate the governor’s wonderful vision/giant stride by allowing the estate to lie fallow after such a huge expenditure of public fund in acquiring some houses. A situation where the houses are allocated to those who will consider the building as below their standard to reside in but will turn around to lease or sell it at staggering amount will work against the objective of helping civil servants have access to decent accommodation.
Government must therefore come up with a policy that set a three-four months deadline upon which allotees must move in otherwise forfeit it. Also no beneficiary should be allowed to carry out sell of the house until after two years to guard against certain individuals using their positions to acquire the houses only to turn around and sale it off at profit margin rate.
The full occupation of Mike MbamaOkiro Police Housing Estate Ubani Ibeku will no doubt mark the beginning of this process of expanding developmental activities/decongestion of the city centre to enhance the aesthetic value of Umuahia.
