Abia govt mulls new masterplan for Aba

The Abia State Government says it has concluded plans to develop a new master plan that will guide the development of Aba, the commercial nerve centre of the state, as a megacity for the next 30 years or more.

The state commissioner for information and culture, Prince Okey Kanu, disclosed this Monday while briefing the press on the outcome of this week’s Executive Council meeting presided over by the governor, Dr Alex Otti, stating that with the plans, Aba is going to metamorphose into a megacity and a major business hub, east of Niger.

The Commissioner, while emphasising the importance of the plan for the expansion project of Aba, said that details of the master plan will be made public at the appropriate time.

The information commissioner also said that a special committee has been approved by the Executive Council to oversee the development of a new commercial core for Aba, adding that the initiative aims at facilitating the establishment of new markets in Aba and the rebuilding of the Ngwa road market (Ahia Ohuru), which was recently gutted by fire.

He also disclosed plans by the State Government to rebuild the Enyimba International Stadium into a modern stadium that is befitting, observing that the market around the Enyimba International Stadium creates traffic congestion and that the special committee for that has the mandate to decongest the Ngwa road market axis leading to the Enyimba International Stadium.

On the allegation that some people that were allocated lands by ABSEDA under the past administration were being denied access to the land, the GM Umuahia Capital Development Authority (UCDA), Mr. Kingsley Agomuo, said those affected do not have any document covering the land and advised anyone who desires to get an allocation from the state to first visit the Ministry of Lands so they will be guided appropriately.

Regarding a contaminated Aro Ajatakiri stream in Ikwuano LGA, the Commissioner for Environment, Mr Philemon Ogbonna, said that an investigation is on to unravel the source of the contamination, even as he made public that a team of environmentalists have visited the area and cautioned members of the community to stay clear of the stream until investigations are concluded, assuring that those affected would be well taken care of by the State Government.