Urban Renewal Demolition Continues Next Week – Commissioner

The present administration in Rivers State, no doubt, is committed to restoring the city of Port Harcourt  to its original beautiful plan in all its ramifications.

The governments  demolition of illegal structures without favouritism is a clear indication that it is commited to the actualisation of a better city.

The government did not only demolish illegal structures but went ahead to pull down houses built in some waterfront areas and also paid the owners some compensations.

It went further to pull down fences and requested that all fences in the city should be 3 feet tall. This exercise was not only applauded but also recorded a huge success even in an area where the mighty in the society reside, the Government Reserved Areas (GRAs).

Apart from the success recorded by the Ministry of Urban Development in the state, the commissioner, Hon. Osima Ginah said in an interview that the Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi was not happy that after two years, the ministry had not restored the dream status of the state capital to its original urban plan.

Hon. Ginah said based on this,  the people of the state should expect urgent transformation of the city in 2010.

According to him, “the governor said my output last year was not good enough. This year, we shall expect vigorous and well planned urban renewal and development. I shall leave no stone unturned to realise the dream and objectives of government in urban development and control.”

“The Governor also told me that I had not acted too well in the area of monitoring of development, which I quite agreed with him. So, I promised to re-double my effort in monitoring the  environment, he said.”

To successfully do this, he said, he would start by setting up a development control taskforce and also  a special taskforce that would monitor the taskforce in the area of development control that goes to the field.

He noted that he would go to the field and warned that those who built contrary to the rule should expect demolition.

The commissioner said the ministry relaxed a lot last year because some residents of GRA keyed into the government policy and were doing it by themselves.

The commissioner disclosed that the ministry would resume demolition next week and that those who had not complied would definitely, without fear or favour, take corrective measures by pulling down the illegal structures.

“If the Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly will lower his fence, Commissioner of Police will comply and Prince Uche Secondus, I wonder who else will not comply”, he delared.

Hon. Ginah explained that the ministry would further pull down illegal structures and also effectively monitor the environment in such a way that it  would not allow people to build before it demolishes.

According to him, “from the foundation level and stage, we will be able to stop the building.”

Ginah, however, assured that the ministry’s efforts would be re-doubled this year, but asked for the support of the people by being part of the group that would monitor the environment.

He said monitoring of the environment would reduce the rate of demolition and  translate to having a better planned city,  urging the people to always provide information to the ministry.

On the ultimatum given to business owners in GRA, the commissioner assured that the ministry would fully implement the policy, stressing that the deadline would elapse this month.

“Already, the ministry has started taking statistics of business houses in the GRA. We shall move those who are to be moved. The ones to be moved are those who came after the pronouncement, he said.”

He also noted that the ministry would fully implement the all-roof aluminum policy, stating that the ministry was giving up to June for all house owners to re-roof their houses with aluminum. According to him, the  ministry would start by example by visiting government houses.

He hinted that it was working out modalities to help those who want to change their roofs to aluminum and also discussing with aluminum companies to work out instalmental payments.

He assured that the ministry would pull down Government House fence this year, explaining that what was keeping the fence standing was the solid nature and lack of equipment to carry out the exercise.

He noted that government had concluded plans with  Julius Berger to reduce the fence to the specification of “see through”, adding that before June, the work would have been  done.