AMID the growth of formless, seemingly unplanned and disorderly settlements in Abia State, the authorities have renewed its fight against violators of the state’s Urban and Regional Law in the urban areas.

Under the new dispensation, the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Renewal has kick-started an exercise to verify and authenticate the Purpose Clause in the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) documents for all classes of developers, which is aimed at correcting the various distortions in land development to recover lost revenues and in special cases, recommend the revocation of some C of Os.

The State’s Commissioner of Physical Planning and Urban Renewal, Mr. Donatus Okorie told journalists at a press conference in Umuahia “ in spite of the existence of the Abia State Urban and Regional Laws, majority of developers in the state lack awareness of the gains derivable from Physical Planning and Development”.

He said that the result has been a plethora of illegal development of structures, illegal and unilateral change of the Purpose Clause as enshrined in the Certificates of Occupancy  (C of O) and building permits.

He recalled that his Ministry in August 2011 organized the first state physical planning and development stakeholders forum wherein professionals in the building industry like surveyors, architects, civil engineers, town planners and builders met and created a road map to halt perceived distortions in the state settlements.

He stated that there is unavoidable need on the part of his ministry to begin the implementation of the well thought out plans in line with the statutory functions and the provisions of the state Urban and Regional Planning Board and Planning Authorities Law Cap 40 of the Laws of Abia State 1999 - 2000, in addition to the Land Use Act 2004.

Okorie, who spoke in the presence of his Permanent Secretary and Directors, listed challenges faced by the ministry as  “flagrant abuse and conversion of assigned uses in the C of O by some property owners without consent of the state government.”  He added: “The chaos and confusion caused by this illegal development and Change of Purpose Clauses have become embarrassing to the government and many City Dwellers who desire and are entitled to comfortable and compatible livable environment”.

He explained the right of government to affect this exercise, saying, Sections 5 (e and f) and 43 of the Land Use Act 2004 in respect of any breach in any covenant in C of O saying the state governor was/is empowered to impose a penal rent for a breach by the holder.

He said: “No person shall in an urban area enclose, obstruct, cultivate or do any act in relation to any land which is not the subject of a right of occupancy or license, lawfully held by him or in respect of which he has not received the permission of the governor to enter and erect improvement prior to the grant to him of the right of occupancy”.

Meanwhile, Abia Government has unveiled its 30 bungalows of three bedrooms, all ensuite located at the Ochendo Housing Estate, Obuavo and Isieke Housing Estate, being offered to interested buyers at the cost of N5.5 million.    The estate comprises 100 bungalows, out of which 30 units have been completed as part of the first phase of the project. On completion, the estate will have

facilities such as schools, security post, pipe borne water, electricity, and recreation park.  Already, there is a functional security post and electricity in the estate.