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Abia Govt Revokes Trademore Estate Building Permit Over Development Violations
Abia Govt Revokes Trademore Estate Building Permit Over Development Violations
Abia State Government has revoked the building permit for Trademore Estate in Ubani, Umuahia, following findings of alleged planning and development violations linked to the estate.
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The Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, disclosed this on Tuesday while briefing journalists on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti.
Prince Kanu said the decision followed an inspection of the estate by a team from the Umuahia Capital Development Authority (UCDA), after residents complained about flooding and defective structures in the area.
According to him, the inspection revealed that the estate was developed on a swampy area reserved for agricultural purposes.
He said the developers had obtained a permit for only two buildings which include a semi-detached two-bedroom bungalow and a three-bedroom bungalow, but subsequently developed an entire estate.
Prince Kanu said several documents and technical requirements were also absent from the application submitted by the developer, including a survey plan, site plan, site analysis report, layout plan and environmental impact analysis report.
The Commissioner added that there was also no evidence of payment of administrative fees or technical inputs from relevant professional and government agencies at the time.
“Following complaints about flooding and defective structures from residents of the estate, the UCDA sent out a team to that estate to carry out a site inspection and to ascertain the remote and immediate causes of the flooding of the estate.
“The findings by this team were quite startling and worrisome. First, the estate was developed on a swampy area reserved for agricultural purposes.
“Secondly, the building permit drawing submitted by the estate developer was for two buildings. One, a semi-detached two-bedroom bungalow, and two, a three-bedroom bungalow, as against a whole estate that was developed by the developers.
“And the following requisite documents were not included in that application. One, there was no survey plan.Two, there was no site plan. Three, there was no site analysis report plan.
“Four, there was no layout plan of the intent of the developer, and he wanted to develop an estate. He (Developer) just asked for permits to erect two buildings.
“There was no environmental impact analysis report. There was no evidence of payment of administrative fees by the developers.
“Finally, there were no technical imputs by relevant professional or government agencies at the time”, Prince Kanu said.
He said the state government had consequently revoked the building permit, adding that further measures to address the issues arising from the development would be communicated to the media.
Prince Kanu revealed that Governor Otti has directed the establishment of an Inter-Ministerial Committee comprising the UCDA and the Ministries of Works, Environment and Lands to develop a lasting solution to perennial flooding affecting Ogurube and Ehimiri layouts in Umuahia, adding that the committee had two weeks to submit its report.
The commissioner also disclosed that the state government was addressing flooding and erosion in Atta Emede Ibeku, where he said clearing of erosion sites had reached 100 per cent, lateral filling 90 per cent, drainage excavation 95 per cent and drainage concreting 90 per cent.
He added that the World Bank Housing Estates in Aba and Umuahia, as well as the IBB Layout, were receiving attention from the state government, with NEEDS assessments and preliminary interventions underway to improve living conditions for residents.
Contributing, the General Manager of the Umuahia Capital Development Authority (UCDA), Mr Kingsley Agomoh, said the agency’s revocation of development permit of the Trademore Estate followed the developer’s failure to comply with the approved land-use terms.
He, however, assured property owners who legitimately purchased plots in the area that they had nothing to fear, stressing that the government’s action was aimed at correcting irregularities and enforcing development regulations.
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