The less
privileged in Ebonyi will soon have a new lease of life as Africa Nations
Development Programme, an Abuja-based NGO, has begun the construction of a N7bn
New City free for them.
The New
City, sited at Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government area of Ebonyi, when completed
will contain 5,000 units of modern two-bedroom detached houses, schools, police
stations, markets, hospitals among others.
The project
in Ebonyi is one the many that will be sited in each state of the country with
that in Cross River having been launched and will cost the organisation about
N2.7tn.
In the
South-East, Enugu and Ebonyi and two other states in South-South, Akwa Ibom and
Cross-River have provided land for the project.
The project
had started at Ikpa Nkanya in Cross River on a 250-hectare land provided by the
government.
Also,
Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa and Adamawa have promised to provide land in scattered
locations for the project.
Dr Samson
Omojuyigbe, Director-General of the ANDP, during the groundbreaking ceremony at
Uburu on Saturday, said that the project was aimed at giving hope to the most
vulnerable segment of the society who are buffeted on all sides of the economic
divide.
“This is
important to us because the project is one of our efforts to ensure the practical
fulfilment of the dream of the ANDP in providing relief for the suffering
people of Africa.
“I feel
particularly happy that Ebonyi has become one of the leading states to benefit
from the project presently after overtaking two other states hitherto in the
run for the project.
“I,
therefore, congratulate the government and good people of Ebonyi as a member of
the frontline states to proudly benefit first.
“The most
gratifying issue is that the state government will not make any contribution
towards the project but will provide lands and the enabling environment to
achieve its success,’’ he said.
Gov. David
Umahi said that land owners in Ebonyi would henceforth become equity owners of
the investments from local and foreign investors sited on their lands.
According to
him, the government in adhering to democratic tenets will not dispossess its
people of their lands as they are enjoined to offer lands for joint
participation in agricultural enhancement and other economic ventures.
“We have
concluded arrangements with Chinese investors to invest in any local government
area that will provide between 5, 000-10, 000 hectares of land for agriculture
and other economic ventures.
“We will
approach the state House of Assembly to enact a law that will ensure that no
land will be allotted to investors without the active participation of the
owners in its usage,’’ he said.
Umahi noted
that the desired rate of development would not be achieved in the state if the
people hold firm to their lands as the government and investors were not
expected to construct in the air.
“All lands
in the state, however, belong to the government as an investor has given us two
weeks to commence a similar project in the Nwofe area and inject $10m dollars
to expand and manage our fertiliser plant.
“We have
achieved much in road, bridge constructions among others and our attention will
shift to large-scale mechanised agriculture and establishment of industries
among other viable economic ventures,’’ he said.
He thanked
the ANDP for undertaking the project in the state, noting that he was
fascinated being informed of the success of such project in Calabar, Cross
River and other states in the country.
Mr Benjamin
Eze, Country Director of ANDP, said that it was an offshoot of the United
Nations Development Programme Initiative which undertakes programmes and
projects to enhance the lives of the less privileged in the society.
“The Ebonyi
government would invest no funds into the project which involves 5, 000
detached bedroom bungalows with facilities such as roads, electricity, schools,
police posts and other security installations, hospitals and fire stations
among others,’’ he said.
Mr Samuel
Okoronkwo, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, debunked
the notion that the land on which the projects would be sited was being
disputed by a prominent indigene of the area.
(NAN)
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