By: Imo Thomas -Umuahia.
Determined to make Umuahia a befitting capital city in line with Abia State Government’s vision, the Umuahia Capital Development Authority (UCDA) has commenced the demolition of unauthorised residential structures built within the former Umuahia market premises without government approval.
The demolition exercise was contained in a press statement, signed by the General Manager Umuahia Capital Development Authority, Mr. Kingsley Agomoh, and made available to Newsmen in Umuahia on Monday.
The release stated that the former market space was allocated to a private investor by the previous administration for the purpose of building an Event Centre on a Build, Operate, and Transfer (BOT) basis, but the investor unilaterally repurposed the space and started developing residential duplexes and apartments, contrary to the government’s planned purpose for the space.
“As a responsible and business friendly administration, the Government has been engaging the investor for the past one year and has offered a negotiated ex-gratia settlement to the investor. The Government has taken over the space to repurpose it as part of a modern transportation hub, integrating the bus terminal, train station, and intercity shuttles connection point. The structures demolished were deemed unfit for the established purpose of overriding public interest,” the release stated.
The General Manager, UCDA, said that the state government is committed to ensuring that the new transportation hub enhances the city’s infrastructure, promotes efficient mobility, and contributes to the overall economic growth of Umuahia as a modern capital city.
“The Abia State Government remains steadfast in its commitment to transforming Umuahia into a world-class city, and this project is a significant step towards achieving that goal.
“The development of an integrated transportation hub is expected to bring numerous benefits to the citizens of Abia State, including improved traffic management, enhanced safety, and increased economic opportunities,”the release concludes.
