By Chioma Onuegbu Uyo

Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Lands and Town Planning, Retired Capt. Iniobong  Ekong, has explained that the Dakkada Luxury Estate in Uyo is not a white Elephant project.

Ekong who made the assertion yesterday while interacting with newsmen on the various activities and programmes of his Ministry, assured that the estate would add value to the state’s economy.

He expressed his preparedness to function properly to ensure that his Ministry was not found wanting in its responsibilities such as the management and security of government acquired lands, and solicited the cooperation of the media to promote the ministry’s activities.

His words: “The Ministry of Lands and Town Planning has the responsibility to develop the Dakkada Luxury Estate in terms of site services and other utility provisions that will make it attractive to compete and compare with any estate in the world.

“The governor has given me approval  to take on-the-spot assessment of that Estate

between now and next week with the intention of understanding where we are, to be able to progress to the next stage. I guarantee you that it will never be a white Elephant project.

“And on Monday His Excellency the governor undertook unscheduled visit  to the Ibom Industrial park. As I speak to you we are under instruction to revoke all unoccupied/undeveloped plots in that industrial estate.

“Unfortunately, quite a lot of investable lands and property have been taken up by politicians and privileged people in the society just to hold it without the necessary ripple benefit to the generality of the people”

Responding to a question on  the level of completion of the Dakkada Luxury estate, the Commissioner responded, “We have 625 plots in the first phase, and as we speak payment of various degrees have been made in 385 plots and counting.

“The estate is 100 percent fenced. Some roads are 100 percent completed. Water is also going to be done with proper reticulation system. So government is aggressively pursuing the timely completion of its own responsibility.

“But we all know what it is like today economically. Funds are not coming the way they used to. One hundred percent of the facilities may not be guaranteed as at now, but in less than no time it will be complete

While responding to a question on the size of the Industrial park, Ekong who disclosed that the park is over 100 hectares, however noted that for now he could not say the total number of plots that are undeveloped