Uche Osibe. Anambra
Anambra State is the first State in the South East geo-political zone to carry out a hi-tech mapping with 10 centimetre resolution that is capable of aerial capturing of items as little as a big hand phone in the completed Master Plan for Awka Capital City, so says the Board Chairman of Awka Capital Development Authority, Arc. Chika Egwuatu.
Disclosing this when he led the Board of the Authority comprising of the Secretary, Arc. Willie Okafor, Arc. Don Ifejika and Ezugo G.C. Okoye on tour, the Chairman of the ACDA Board, recalled that governor Willie Obiano on assumption of office in March 2014 year promised to give the State a befitting Capital City, the result being the inauguration of the 10-member Board in May this year.
Egwuatu who represented the State governor, Chief Willie Obiano in the ongoing familiarization tour of local government areas that fall under the 10 kilometres capital territory radius sought a working relationships with royal fathers and the Council chairman of Njikoka, Hon. Emeka Onuorah and his Awka North counterpart, Hon. Sir Cosmas Okonkwo to achieve the objectives.
He noted that the Awka Capital Territory would in few years time begin to take shapes of good aspects of Dubai, Seoul and Kigali models after which it is modeled, lamenting that 23 years after creation of the State, there is no Master Plan to aid development.
According to him, good aspects of the Dubai, Smart City of Seoul and UN-Habitat Pilot Model City of Kigali, were the three models selected by ACDA out of ten models examined, asserting that those models were achieved because their leaders were visionary and had political will to follow up the conceptual project.
In this respect, he said the State boasts of a governor in Obiano who according to him, has a vision and political will to give the State a befitting State Capital of international repute in line with his inaugural speech.
Dwelling more on Dubai, Arc. Egwuatu noted that governor Obiano had a fancy for the Dubai Model City after the heart of most Nigerian tourists and businessmen, stressing that “a street in Dubai had only three high-rise buildings in 1990, but by 2013, some 23 years after, the same street is dotted by scores of magnificent high-rise buildings.
Egwuatu who is a Fellow of the Nigeria Institute of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) pointed out that ACDA has taken control of the pathetic situation, by developing a 204-page Development Control Manual which he said is like the Bible of Development, noting that as soon as the 8-man Adhoc Committee set up by the governor to ratify it completes its work, the Capital City project will be officially bided and awarded to a competent architect.
He explained that the Board had to come up with the Development Control Manual will help to control erosion, check hazard structures springing up within the territory and serve as a guideline on projects development.
The ACDA boss stressed that a Multi-City concept is being envisioned whereby the Big Model City will exist within Awka while other satellite Cities will be spread to other locations within the capital territory and be documented in a gazette.
Egwuatu said the State with no fewer than 200 billionaires desires to have the Capital City Model since, according to him, Anambra State is the second after Lagos State in terms of land mass and boasts of 1,000 people per square kilometer, adding that efforts will be made to maximize the scanty land in the State.
Also speaking, the Secretary of the Board, Arc. Willie Okafor noted that all the six towns of Nawfia, Enugwu-ukwu,Enugwu-Agidi, Abba, Abagana, and Nimo, that make up Njikoka LG belong to the territory.
Arc. Okafor who appreciated the performance of Njikoka Council stated that the Awka Capital Master Plan will sooner than later engender an unprecedented development in the State, emphasizing ,”In the next six months, what will be happening in Awka Capital Territory will be difficult to comprehend.”
On his own part, another member of the Board, Arc. Ezugo G.C. Okoye observed that ACDA has a mandate to cover the five communities of Mgbakwu, Urum, Amansea, Isuaniocha and Ebenebe towns in Awka North that fall under the territory, which he said faces a dilemma of failure, but swiftly pointed out that “ACDA is ready for business.”
Arc. Okoye observed that, by setting up the ACDA, governor Obiano has given the best to Ndi Anambra and stressed that the major thrust of its responsibility lies with the production and implementation of the Master Plan with topography of 10 centimetre resolution for the Awka Capital Territory.
He stated that there is no substitute to planning else there will always be a dilemma of failed cities, citing his horror of a failed cities where citizens cannot get about to do their business promptly because the city is not working.
Responding, Njikoka LG Council Chairman, Hon. Onuorah who was the past State President of NIESV, expressed happiness with the calibre of professionals assembled by the governor, noting that the State Chief Executive, by such appointments has planned from the onset to succeed.
Hon. Onuorah disclosed the State does not expect anything less than the best from the Board which he described as a great team and praised them for the hard work which resulted in their churning out the document modeled after Dubai, Seoul and Kigali within six months.
He described the Obiano administration as being practical and called for more enlightenment so that the populace will adhere to planning principles before developing any project, and adjust after the expected initial resistance.
While urging indigenes of the state to embrace the Think Home Philosophy and invest at home, Hon. Onuorah said his Council is prepared for a synergy with the ACDA and he looks forward to ACDA helping to drive the system so that there will be a well laid down development Plan.
He revealed that the commercial city of Onitsha was not well-planned such that everybody heads towards one direction in the morning and returns to same direction at close of business, adding that the Multi-City concept which makes people to move to different directions will address the snag.
Other contributors from Nnjikoka LG Council namely, Hon. B.N. Ezejiofor, Secretary of the Council; Hon. Sir Toby Okwuanya, Supervisor for Works, and Ifeanyi Muodilim, Supervisor for Education all lauded the philosophy behind the planned project, while Hon. George Ozoh the Supervisory Councilor for Health extolled the Board for making a clarion call for people to think home and help develop it, adding that the Authority is working speedily to develop the State.
Receiving the Arc. Egwuatu-led Board at Awka North LG Council, the Chairman, Hon. Sir Okonkwo in company of Hon. Dr. Ikechukwu Oforkansi,Deputy Chairman and Hon.Barrister Ikechukwu, Council Secretary stated that the Awka Capital Territory project could not have come at a better time given the pace and speed governor Obiano is working to dumb found his critics, pointing out that, though Obi performed, he neglected the most important aspect of development which his successor is correcting.
Hon. Okonkwo lamented that former governor Obi had his lapses when he distorted approved design by Greenfield Nigeria Limited, because he was avoiding to handle the three bridges along Okpuno – Isuaniocha road which started from St. Patrick’s Catholic Church and ending at Otuocha, another at the road running from Obibia Stream through Ekwueme Square to Awka Road, and third road called DFRRI Road designed to join Ifite.
He pledged the support of his Council to the ACDA initiative, adding that there exists a vast hectares of land connecting Enugu-Agidi, Nawgu and Ukwulu which he explained government needs for development purposes, but advised that real owners of land acquired for public interest are entitled to compensation.
