Professionals Raise Alarm Over Abandoned Govt Estate

Professionals in the Real

Estate Sector have expressed concern over the neglect and abandonment of a government housing estate in Diobu axis for about two decades now.

The real estate practitioners are of the view that such abandonment was a clear wastage of resources in terms of money and property, which ought to have been put to proper use to meet the need of those who desire it or service the accommodation need of those in government service.

Speaking to The Tide in Port Harcourt on the need for the Rivers State Government to fully take over the housing estate at Benin Street in the Diobu axis of Port Harcourt, which is very close to the D/Line area, an estate surveyor, Mr. Collins Ordu said that the Benin Street housing estate has been degenerating continuously.

He said that the failure of the State government to take possession of the estate was responsible for irregularities and the deplorable condition of the place, pointing out that it is difficult to know who and who are the real occupants of the estate.

According to him “The Benin Street Estate have become an ‘all comers’ affair where even touts gain access to live in.

Mr. Ordu described the place as a mere refugee camp where all the apartments are fully packed with people of various characters, while some do not have something doing for a living.

He said if government could take the bold step to address all issues within the estate including the settling of contractors, the estate will serve a meaningful purpose.

On his part, an estate consultant in Port Harcourt, Mr. Benjamin Oti said that the Benin Street estate as it is now is not serving any purpose to government.

He said that findings have shown that the contractors were not settled, and that some of the structures that were partially completed were converted to rental apartment; adding that government for one reason or the other has not taken steps to take possession of the place.

The estate consultant therefore urged government to put everything in place to give meaning to the estate and to make it serve the purpose for which it was built.

Corlins Walter