Abia Embarks On Housing Estates Construction

The Abia government has embarked on the construction of housing estates to cater to the housing needs of people of the state, Governor Theodore Orji has said.

Orji disclosed this when he featured at a forum last Sunday.

The governor noted that some of the housing estates had been completed while others were still under construction.

“In terms of housing, we have realised a housing estate known as Amogbe Housing Estate. It is on Adelabu Street, where you used to call ‘class quarters’, we converted that place into an estate and the houses that are built there are for people to come and buy and live, already people are living there”.

“This is a housing estate realised within this period that I am governor. People are already living there. We have another housing estate at Amuoba.

“We have structures that have been built. What we are doing now is providing the roads, the infrastructure, and drainage for that place.’’

According to him, he has also laid the foundation for another new estate in Isieke to accommodate people and that one will produce more than 50 housing units in addition to the one that is already being built at Isieke.

The governor said that the old secretariat had already been earmarked for a housing estate, noting that these were all efforts to address the housing challenges of people of the state.

Orji said: “I know the problem of housing of my people is very primary. Every person must have a roof above his head.’’

He pointed out that the state government was providing houses for all categories of people in the state, including junior and senior workers, commissioners as well as legislators.

Orji stated that the houses were affordable, maintaining that those who were interested in buying them could pay in installments.

“We don’t say come and cash and carry, no, you come and deposit something and you continue paying like that until you finish”.

“The same thing also with the one we are going to build in Isieke, those ones in Isieke will be for people also who are interested to buy and for our legislators because the place that was built for the legislators is being used by commissioners.

“So we want to build some for legislators for them to buy also, so if they come they pay and buy so the houses are affordable. And for the junior staff also, the last one we want to build in that same place in Isieke is for junior people. So we have made provisions for big men and small men.’’

On how the state government was able to raise funds to executive the projects, Orji said they were being executed in collaboration with the private sector.