GPHDA Pays Landlords N5.5bn

The Rivers State Government yesterday said it paid at least N5.51 billion compensation claims to 216 landowners of the new Port Harcourt city currently under construction.

Administrator, Greater Port Harcourt City Development Authority (GPHCDA), Mrs Aleruchi Cookey-Gam, disclosed this during the authority’s board retreat in Tai Local Government Area of the state.

Our correspondent reports that the retreat had as its theme: “Road Map To 2015”.

It would be recalled that the state government in 2009, unveiled a 50-year development plan to build a new city out of the state capital tagged: “Greater Port Harcourt”.

Cookey-Gam said the authority was presently assessing other claims toward compensating those affected by the M10 road (eight-lane freeway) at Igwuruta axis.

She said that the state government had in the last three years also awarded several contracts to fast track the development of the new Port Harcourt city.

The administrator said some of the projects included the N30.9 billion construction of an M10 (eight-lane freeway), 11-kilometre road and five bridge projects.

She said other projects included the construction of priority roads at the cost of N4.5 billion; the construction of 1, 080 housing units at N25 billion; and provision of internal township services at N9.5 billion.

She said, “we have also completed the engineering design for bulk and interim infrastructure services, bulk sewage lines and electrical distribution and reticulation of phase 1A of the city.”

Cookey-Gam said that the N709 million water reticulation contracts had been awarded and that the projects were at various stages of completion.

“We are gradually moving to the last stage of our project cycle in the provision of bulk infrastructure for our Phase 1A new city development.

“We have moved from planning to preliminary design to detailed engineering designs, tenders, procurement, award of contracts, implementing. Now we are moving on to operation and maintenance; that is a very critical part of our work.

“We must take critical steps to ensure that we put processes in place and the requisite personnel to ensure that the operations and maintenance of our facilities are efficient, effective, well priced and sustainable.”

She called for public, private partnership and improved funding to fast track the development of the new city.

In her remark, the Minister for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Ms Amal Pepple, said the new city initiative would provide employment opportunities, and improved standard of living and for the people of the state.

Pepple lauded the state government for its commitment to reducing the housing deficit faced by the people of the state and other Nigerians.

The minister, who was represented by Mrs Georgie Ogbutor, an official of the ministry, said the Federal Government would implement the National Urban Development Policy soon.

According to her, the policy would promote a dynamic system of urban settlements which would foster sustainable economic growth and promote efficient urban and regional planning and development.

She said the Federal Government would partner state governments willing to develop new settlements and model cities for their people.