By Ijendu Iheaka
Chief Ikechi Aaron, Permanent Secretary, Abia Ministry of Lands, Survey and Urban Planning, has urged Abia residents to assist a Team of Town Planning professionals collect data for Aba’s Masterplan.
Aaron made the call on Friday during a meeting between Town Planning professionals and the UN Human Settlement Programme (UN-Habitat) Team in Aba.
He said the team, led by the UN Human Settlement Programme (UN-Habitat) personnel, gathering data for Aba Masterplan would need the help of all residents to succeed in the project.
“The state of Aba is becoming unbearable for us all and we need to act to change its condition and we are in the process of giving Aba oxygen.
“The Technical Team for the project are in Aba and they will be coming to you from now to collect data.
“Please oblige them in order not to push them into gathering wrong data which will be unprofitable for us because if the data obtained is real, the results will be beneficial to all but if it is wrong, the result will not be favourable,” he said.
He promised to create a media platform through his ministry which would educate and enlighten the news media and residents on the progress of the project.
Dr Omoayena Odumbaku, Team Lead, UN-Habitat Project, said the Masterplan needs an Act of Parliament to ensure its sustainability beyond Ikpeazu’s administration.
She said Town planning needs the right steps and require stakeholders’ contributions to be useful.
She said that the data collection aspect of the project is expected to be completed by December 2022 while the project has a tenure of 24 months.
She said the project would launch the Open Spaces component in six months while it will exhibit the Masterplan for public scrutiny in 18 months before final touches on it.
Mr. Paul Okunola, member of the UN Human Settlement Programme Team said the team is committed to seeing the project succeed and would do everything possible to ensure its success.
In his presentation, he said the project will curb communal tension, slum proliferation, traffic congestion and improve urban living conditions and Aba’s economy.
