By Tony Okafor, Awka
The Anambra State Government is thinking of demolishing the bungalows at both Iyiagu and Real Estates in Awka, the state capital.
In their stead, the government mulls over erecting high-rise buildings in the two Estates as part of the measures to economize land in the state capital and provide more accommodations to the citizenry.
The Managing Director of Anambra State Housing Development Corporation, (ASHDC), Chief Chike Anyaonu, disclosed this at the forum of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists( NUJ), Anambra State Council, held at the Tochukwu Udorji Hall at the Ezeemo Press Centre, Awka on Tuesday.
Describing the bungalows at the two Estates as archaic and of no useful purpose again, Anyaonu said high-rise buildings would serve better purpose at a time like this as they would accommodate more people.
Anyaonu lamented what he called the rot he met at the Corporation on assumption of office two years ago, saying that he was working hard to ensure that the corporation would live up to its responsibility.
He said 20 of the 22 estates which he inherited were moribund, describing one of them as a scam as according to him the contractor failed to provide amenities required of it, but simply sold the plots of land to prospectors and went away.
Seeing the condition of things in the corporation, he said, he established SOP (Usoro) which he said encapsulated the processes one would need to go through to get what one would want from the corporation.
He lamented the situation at Ngozika Housing Estate Phase II which he said previous governments used to scam the people.
He said, “The contractor of Rockland Development Ltd was given ingress to develop the estate, take over all residential plots and provide infrastructure necessary for people to come and live there – non of these was done. People moved in and started developing the place on their own.
Meanwhile, Rockland had gone ahead, sold all the plots, closed the books and handed over before I came.
“What is happening now is that people are developing the place on their own, without government coming to their aid, providing all those infrastructure Rockland ought to provide.As a result, we have not been going to that place to collect our fees because it would have been shameful “.
Continuing, Anyaonu said he had secured the approval of the board to construct one kilometre road in the Estate and put streetlights.
He said, in the real sense of it, only two Housing Estates were viable, namely: Udoka Housing Estate, Awka and another at Fegge Bridge head.
He noted that the corporation would not relent on its mandate as he had reorganised the corporation and put the right things in perspective
Commending Anyaonu for availing himself for the interaction which was held in the April meeting of Correspondents’Chapel, chairman of the Chapel, Chief Chuks Ilozue said apart from the primary function of the press which is to inform, educate and entertain, the press had a constitutional duty to hold government accountable.
He urged Anyaonu to strive to turn things around in the corporation so as to etch his name in the annals of history.
Anyaonu was accompanied to the interaction by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Housing, Ernie Onwumere and the Marketing and Public Relations Officer of the outfit Mrs Jane Okafor.
