90 Minutes at Ifite: ACTDA, Awka LGA, UNIZIK Promise Better Life for Students, Illegal Structures Face Demolition

By Tony Okafor, Awka

Property owners who flout environmental and building regulations in Ifite, Awka, risk demolition as the Awka Capital Territory Development Authority, Awka South Local Government and Nnamdi Azikiwe University intensify efforts to improve living conditions in the university area.

The warning came on Friday during a 90-minute inspection led by ACTDA Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Ossy Onuko.

The tripartite committee toured the stretch from Yahoo Junction to Miracle Junction, inspecting roads, drainage, hostels and structures encroaching on public spaces.

Committee members included ACTDA officials, Awka South Local Government representatives and the UNIZIK Dean of Student Affairs.

Dr. Onuko commended residents of Miracle Junction Road for respecting approved setbacks and maintaining a cleaner environment, describing the area as a model for others.

He, however, directed all Ifite property owners to desilt blocked drains, ensure functional soakaways and construct catchment pits to curb flooding and environmental degradation.

He said the committee was set up to address the poor living conditions facing thousands of students in Ifite.

“This committee comprises ACTDA, Awka South LGA and the UNIZIK Dean of Student Affairs. Our goal is to end the suffering here. When you talk about Ifite, you are talking about 80 per cent of our students,” he said.

“Our concern is students’ welfare. We found hostels without electricity, leaking roofs and poor sanitation. Even where roads are untarred, they must be kept passable and not turned into dumps”, Onuko said.

Dr. Onuko said the committee would ensure Ifite gets a new lease of life before its assignment ends. Structures found encroaching on road setbacks were marked during the inspection. He warned that demolition would follow where owners ignored directives.

“Every compound must have a catchment pit. Your soakaway must work. The roads are filthy and hard to use. If we return and setbacks are not maintained, we will enforce the law. Demolition is not our priority, but we will act where necessary. Government is not out to punish anyone but to make life better,” he said.

He said urban renewal requires residents’ cooperation, not just government infrastructure.

“We are carrying out incremental regeneration of the capital city. Individual actions must not jeopardise it. If people see cleanliness as a collective duty, they will protect their environment,” he added.

Dr. Onuko noted that many buildings lacked development approvals. He rejected claims that past illegal structures beneath high-tension lines or on waterways should excuse new violations.

“The duty of government is to correct wrongs when they are found,” he said.

UNIZIK Students’ Union Government President, Samuel Ochuba, backed the exercise, saying it would improve student welfare and safety. Students form the largest population in the area, he noted.

The Dean of Student Affairs, Prof. Kingsley Ubaorji, addressed occupants of a hostel marked unsafe and urged them to vacate and cooperate with government to secure a healthier environment.

The inspection is part of the committee’s ongoing drive to restore order, improve sanitation and enforce development rules in Ifite, one of Awka’s fastest-growing university communities.