By Izunna Okafor, Awka
The Awka Capital Territory Development Authority (ACTDA) has warned land bankers and speculators against slowing down the development vision of the agency and that of the Solution Government for the capital city.
ACTDA’s warning is coming against the backdrop of some property owners who indulge in the practice of acquiring public lands in government estates only to leave them undeveloped for years in order to resell them or to achieve other objectives best known to them.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of ACTDA, Dr. Ossy Onuko, gave the warning on Wednesday when he led an enforcement team and senior officers of the agency to the Awka Millennium City Estate, Agu-Awka, to assess the level of development and enforce compliance with approved development timelines.
Dr. Onuko said the visit became necessary following growing concerns over the slow pace of development in the estate, despite the fact that many plot owners had taken possession of their lands several years ago under clear agreements to commence construction within a stipulated period of three years.
According to him, the continued existence of vast undeveloped plots within a flagship government-planned estate like Millennium City Estate not only undermines the purpose for which the land was allocated, but also threatens the broader vision of building and developing a more functional, orderly and modern capital city.
The ACTDA Boss explained that most of the lands were allocated with a three-year development window, a condition that many beneficiaries have failed to meet, adding that ACTDA would henceforth begin decisive enforcement actions to curb land speculation and ensure that allocated lands are put to productive use.
Dr. Onuko noted that the enforcement exercise forms part of the agency’s ongoing “Operation Keep Awka Clean,” an initiative aimed at strengthening urban planning, promoting active development, and preventing practices that stall infrastructure growth within the capital territory.
He further warned that ACTDA, working in collaboration with the Anambra State Ministry of Lands, would not hesitate to revoke ownership of plots that remain undeveloped without justifiable reasons and reassign them to developers who are genuinely ready to build.
Dr. Onuko also stressed that government investment in infrastructure, planning and land allocation must translate into a liveable and prosperous homeland, as well as improved economic activity and quality of life for residents, rather than empty layouts dominated by speculative land holding.
Also speaking during the enforcement visit, the Head of Development Control Unit of ACTDA, Mr. Charles Ekwunife, expressed disappointment over the level of compliance, describing Awka Millennium City Estate as a project that was designed to set a benchmark for planned urban development in the state.
Mr. Ekwunife recalled that the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the government and developers clearly stipulated that the estate should have attained an appreciable level of development within its first three years, a target he said has largely not been met.
Earlier in his remarks, the Facility Manager of Awka Millennium City Estate, Mrs. Nwanneka Nwachukwu, acknowledged that development in the Estate has been slow, revealing that the area has not attained reasonable amount of development despite repeated engagements with property owners.
According to her, the Estate Management had over time reached out to landowners through meetings, mails and sensitisation programmes to encourage them to commence construction, adding that ACTDA’s enforcement intervention was timely and necessary.
Mrs. Nwachukwu further noted that the essence of the estate was to build a functional, secure and well-planned community, rather than allow large portions of land to remain idle and vulnerable to environmental degradation and criminal activities.
ACTDA officials during the visit reiterated that the enforcement exercise would be sustained and extended to other parts of the capital territory, warning that excuses and delays would no longer be accepted as justification for abandoning allocated lands.
The authority reiterated the urgent need for all property owners within Awka Millennium City Estate and other government-approved layouts, especially within the Capital Territory, to immediately commence development in line with approved plans, further emphasizing that the era of land banking at the expense of urban growth is gone and henceforth intolerable.
