Valuer Expresses Concern Over Abandoned Public Building

An estate surveyor and
valuer in Port Harcourt, Dennis Onyike, has expressed worries over abandonment of some public buildings owned by the Rivers State Government, which has resulted to loss of revenue to the government.
He also said that the inaction of the government with respect to the conditions of such buildings has raised some questions in the minds of people as to whether government was really interested in such property.
In his reactions while responding to questions from The Tide on the state of some of public properties in Port Harcourt, Onyike maintained that successive governments in the state had not shown enough commitment to suggest that they are interested in addressing issues on such properties, particularly that of the RIVBank building on Aba Road and the Oromenike estate in Diobu.
He explained that the RIVBank building, which is left unused for some years now does not speak well, considering the strategic position that it occupies and the revenue it is supposed to yield to government, if people had rented it for business.
“The best thing to do to such property is to put it to proper use. If the government is willing, such property can be sold, rather than leaving it the way it is,” he stated.
On the Oromenke estate, Onyike said that the disagreement between government and contractors on terms of contract is not enough reason for such property to be left abandoned for many years now, pointing out that some miscreants have taken advantage of the situation to infiltrate the estate.
The real estate valuer however noted that infrastructural challenges can not be surmounted at once, since it is an accruement of age-long defects.
He, therefore, urged the state government to have a stable schedule to take over and maintain all public buildings in the state, as well as confront various challenge arising from taking over public buildings.

Stories by Corlins Walter