By  Anayo Okoli

Umuahia—Abia State Government will commence the demolition of illegal structures in Aba and Umuahia in February, the Commissioner for Lands, Survey and Urban Planning, Mr Emeka Nwachukwu, has said.
Nwachukwu made the disclosure in Umuahia, yesterday while briefing newsmen on the activities of his Ministry.

He said that some of the buildings blocked drainages, while others that did not comply with the Town Planning Laws, would be affected in the exercise.
The Commissioner said the essence of the demolition was to correct the lapses noticed in the planning of the two towns.

He noted that many landlords had violated the Town Planning Law by using their buildings for purposes other than what was contained in the Certificate of Occupancy.

The Commissioner, however, said that the demolition would be done with a sense of purpose, adding that  government had earlier given opportunity to landlords, whose buildings were marked to revalidate them by obtaining the Change of Use Purpose form.

“We are using this period to give opportunity to those who are yet to obtain the form to do so before the bulldozers begin work,” he said.
Nwachukwu, who said that the demolition would be total and complete, added that the Ministry had the government’s support to demolish residential buildings and other structures, such as banks and churches, causing obstruction.

He also said that petrol stations indiscriminately cited within residential buildings would be removed.

The Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Chief John Nwokocha, said government will stop at nothing to correct the anomalies in the town planning law.
He expressed concern that some landlords had turned their residential buildings to business premises.

“Government had earlier given 31December 2009 as deadline for the correction of such anomalies but we are extending it till the end of this month before the demolitions start,’’ Nwokocha said.

Speaking on the effort of the government to check crime, Nwokocha urged the people to be conscious of “the new antics of criminals” who had “devised new means of unleashing terror on the people.’’

“They now visit public functions during which they will announce that a particular car is parked wrongly and will demand the owner to park well. In an attempt for the owner of such car to comply with such directive, they will cash in on that and kidnap the person,” he said.