…as BSUDB explains demolition of Wurukum Rice Mill shanty

By Peter Duru, Makurdi

Following the recent flag-off of construction work on the Makurdi flyover by the Minister of Works, Senator. David Umahi, the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, NITP, has reiterated its call on the Benue State government to develop a comprehensive master plan for the development of the state capital.

This came just as the General Manager of Benue State Urban Development Board, BSUDB, Ternongo Mede explained why the state government demolished the Wurukum Rice Mill by the foot of River Benue bridge.

The NITP advised the state government to develop a Regional Development Plan for the state as well as formulate masterplans for major urban areas in the state.

The National Public Relations Secretary of NITP, Dr Jesse Nor who spoke during an interview, recalled that the National President of NITP, Dr. Ogbonna Chime had at the 26th Edition of the Mandatory Continuing Professional Development Programme, MCPDP, held July in Makurdi  urged the state government to commence  implementation of the 1992 Nigeria Urban and Regional Planning Act to streamline activities of urban and rural administration in the state.

Dr. Nor quoted the National President as saying that for the state to ensure grassroot participation in planning there was a strong need to establish town planning authorities in every Local Government Area, LGA, of the State.

“We also advise that Benue State more than any other state in this federation requires the immediate implementation of the 1992 Nigeria Urban and Regional Planning Act. It is only the implementation of this law that will streamline the activities of urban and rural administration in Benue state.

“And the essence of this is for us to achieve an orderly development all through Benue state not just in Makurdi. Government should observe that every small settlement everywhere in Benue state is an eventual urban area. And the growth and development of such small settlements require a plan that will guide it to urbanisation,” Dr. Chime was quoted as saying.

While commenting on the demolition of the Wurukum Rice Mill, the NITP National Public Relations Secretary observed that the clearance of the mill was inevitable, noting that Makurdi needs a comprehensive master plan to provide direction for the future development of the town.

“Such a master plan and bigger framework to drive the development of Makurdi has been lacking. City development has got to be driven by a framework, whether in the form of a master plan or structure/ strategic plan.

“That bigger framework to define the town’s structural elements, land-uses, urban design, image of the city, infrastructure outlay, and set the road map for the town’s development within a time frame has been lacking in Makurdi. The attempted master plan was abandoned in the 1980s.

“What you now have is layout plans  without a bigger structure or master plan to drive them. Thus, you first got to have a bigger framework that defines the town’s development and all of these beautiful infrastructure will follow. In time, Makurdi will have beautiful and shining bridges, flyovers, and underpass.

“We just got to go back to the envisioning which has long been left behind. The town needs a master plan. The town’s dreams, visions, policy statements, multiple actors and their roles to drive the development will all be encapsulated in this dream document – the master plan.

“The  NITP has been  quite vocal on the need for a master plan for the state.  Benue needs a master plan to provide a robust and sustainable road map for Makurdi’s development. This is the only and sure way of developing the state to an enviable status,” he said.

Meanwhile the General Manager of the  Benue State Urban Development Board also explained that the Wurukum Rice Mill was demolished because it was a shanty on the right-of-way of the ongoing dualisation of the Makurdi-Otukpo-Enugu highway and construction of the Makurdi flyover.

Mede said the shanty created by the rice millers constituted an eyesore and painted a bad image of the state particularly for visitors noting that the Governor Hyacinth Alia-led administration had paid the affected persons the necessary compensation to have them move away from the shanty to a new location provided by the government.

According to him “as Town Planners that is like the gate house of Benue, you come to the state and you see that rot or shanty you will not have regards for Benue. Incidentally, the rice millers and the timber people who created the shanty know it.

“Thank God we now have a Governor that looks far ahead and embraces development. And with the coming of the flyover at the Wurukum roundabout to ease traffic, they were on the right-of-way and had to be removed.

“So what the Governor intends to do there will be beyond what we are seeing now. At a point he was thinking of taking an urban renewable system there.”

The General Manager who also gave his thought on having a boulevard stretching from the Makurdi Agan toll gate to NNPC Apir, said “creating the boulevard will beautify the town and it can be achieved. Though it is a Federal land but the state government can come in and create that beauty on that stretch.

“It can line up trees from one end, that is from Agan all the way to NNPC Apir. And can create walkways by the side beautifying the stretch as you come into the town. It is doable, the state can do it since the road is cutting through its capital. It is to create beauty in your capital as people from other parts pass through your state capital.”