Nation
Property owners in Aba given 90 days to formalize building documents
Property owners in Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State, whose buildings have no approved building plans, have been given upto the first week in December this year (90 days) to obtain them from the office of the State Town Planning Authority or face the wrath of the law.
The Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, who disclosed this while briefing journalists in Government House Umuahia, on the outcome of this week’s State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti, explained that the Governor granted those affected 90 days moratorium within which to obtain their building approval certificate through the payment of the old rate for such approval.
He said the gesture is another instance of the governor’s compassionate disposition towards implementation of government policies and programmes.
It will be recalled that the political class under the out-gone administrations in Abia state had converted school lands and public open spaces to erect private residential or commercial buildings or used as Worship centres by Churches, without formal approvals from government authorities. Over 180 schools in the state are so compromised in this deal.
However, the commissioner further disclosed that as part of the wider agenda of the state government with regards to the reformation of the education sector, which also forms part of the protocol for the resumption of schools for the new 2024/25 academic year with regards to the reformation of the education sector in the state, the Abia State Government has shifted the resumption date for public and private primary and secondary schools in the state from 16th to 23rd September, 2024.
He said the shift from the earlier date is occasioned by a public holiday that would fall on the 16th of September which is a Muslims’ holiday.
In line with the new protocol, the Abia First Teachers Training programme which commenced earlier and trained 200 Master- trainers recommenced on Wednesday 11th through 24th September 2024 for the remaining batch of 1,800. This batch is expected to complete their training before schools resume for the new session. According to the programme, this time around, the training would hold in 3 centres, namely Aba, Umuahia and Ohafia, respectively.
The Information boss further disclosed that Abia State has been selected as one of the six States of the federation to fly the flag of Nigeria at an international medical symposium holding in Ghana, under the auspies of the World Bank and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The Symposium is tagged HOPE which stands for Human Capital Opportunity for Prosperity and Equity.
He explained that Abia was chosen because of the ongoing reforms in the health sector of the state.
On the ongoing “Light- up Abia Initiative” Kanu hinted that the exercise is still ongoing and spreading to various areas of the State with 4,346 solar lights already installed across 86 locations within the state. He noted that it is in fulfilment of the need to make the towns and cities in the state more comfortable for residents and to improve security in all the affected areas.
Prince Kanu also announced that the Abia Electricity Bill has scaled through second reading at the State House of Assembly. He expressed the hope that the House members would fast-track the passage of the bill upon their resumption from recess.
He stressed that, “The passage of the bill will give further impetus to the ongoing reforms in the power sector in the state”
Contributing, the Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Engr. Ikechukwu Monday , who described the Abia Electricity Bill as an all- encompassing law said the government has been working on the law for quite a while.
He explained that the passage of the bill into law would give the state government the opportunity to own power assets and to regulate the sector.
“The content of this law , at the end of the day when it comes into effect , will give us the mandate to establish the Abia State Electricity Regulatory Authority. It will also give us the mandate to establish the Abia State Rural Electrification Agency. It will make the state generate,transmit and regulate power. It will add liquidity to the electricity market, etc “
