Greater PH’ll Be World Class City – Amaechi

Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Aamechi, has called on all stakeholders to make critical and strategic inputs that would ensure the successful implementation of the Greater Port Harcourt City Master Plan.

Governor Amaechi made this call Monday while declaring open a two-day planning workshop on the Legislative and Administrative Framework for Planning and Development Control in the Greater Port Harcourt City Area, organised by the Greater Port Harcourt City Development Authority (GPHCDA) at Hotel President, Port Harcourt.

Represented by his deputy, Engr Tele Ikuru, Governor Amaechi expressed optimism that the GPHCDA, the State Ministry of Urban Development and the local government councils would form a synergy for effective implementation of the master plan. The Governor urged the participants to work towards the “establishment of a development permit regime with the Greater Port Harcourt master plan as the reference point, modalities for the declaration of planning areas so that development within the Greater Port Harcourt City area can take place in a structured manner.”

The state chief executive noted with dismay that “two years after the launch of the master plan and establishment of the GPHCDA, developments within the area had continued without recourse to the master plan,” urging all concerned to expedite action on the enforcement of the regulations on the GPH City area, expressing delight that steps were being taken to establish a good working relationship among the various stakeholders.

In his speech, the State Commissioner for Urban Development, Dr Tammy Danagogo, disclosed that his ministry and the GPHCDA had created a synergy on implementation of the Greater Port Harcourt City master plan and the federal government law on urban development, announcing that a renewed urban renewal drive would kick-off by January 2012. He also said that monitoring, enforcement of regulations and development control would remain the focus of his ministry.

In her vote of thanks, administrator of the GPHCDA, Dame Aleruchi Cookey-Gam, hinted that the authority was tackling the challenges arising from the development of the new city, saying that so far significant progress was being achieved.