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By Madu Obi
The Anambra State government says it is considering the demolition of the bungalows at Iyiagu and Real Estates in the state capital, Awka, to give way for high rise buildings, in view of shortage of land.
The two Estates were among the first set of housing projects built after the creation of the new Anambra State in 1991.
The Managing Director of Anambra State Housing Development Corporation, (ASHDC), Chief Chike Anyaonu, who was addressing members of the state Correspondents' Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists( NUJ), said in addition to helping to economize land in the state capital, the measure would ensure the provision of more houses for the people.
According to him, at the Real Estate, for instance, a two bedroom bungalow is sitting on a full plot of land, which he described as a waste of scarce land resources.
Anyaonu also lamented that most of the so-called Estates in Awka which people who claim to be developers are talking about and asking people to subscribe only exist on air, warning people to beware of such developers.
"Of the 22 estates I inherited, 20 of them were moribund. In fact one of them was a scam as the contractor failed to provide amenities as required and simply sold the plots of land to individuals and went away.
"In the real sense of it, only two Housing Estates, namely Udoka Housing Estate, Awka and another one at Fegge Bridge Head, Onitsha, are viable estates in the state", Anyaonu added.
He identified the famous Ngozika Housing Estate Phase II as one place which previous governments used to scam the people, adding however, that the Housing Corporation has started correcting the anomalies.
He said: "The contractor that was given the estate to develop took over all residential plots, but failed to provide the infrastructure necessary for people to come and live there.
When people moved in, they started developing the place on their own after the company had sold all the plots, closed the books and handed over to government before I came.
"Because the people are developing the place on their own, without government coming to their aid and providing all the infrastructure the company ought to have provided, we have not been going to that place to collect our fees because it would be improper."
Anyaonu said he had, however, secured the approval of the board of the corporation to construct roads in the Estate and put streetlights in the interest of the residents, assuring that the corporation would not relent on its mandate to put things in their right perspective.
In his speech, the chairman of the Correspondents' chapel, Chief Chuks Ilozue commended Anyaonu for availing himself for the interaction, urging him to strive to turn things around in the corporation so as to etch his name in the annals of history
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