Landlords in Abia State have been threatened by the state government with undisclosed consequences if, within the next four weeks, owners of defaced buildings fail to facelift their buildings.

The threat was announced after the state executive council meeting yesterday by the state Information Commissioner, Prince Okey Kanu, who said that the state government decries defaced buildings, making the cities, especially Aba and Umuahia, the state capital, untidy.

“The state government has observed with dismay that many landlords have not carried out routine maintenance or facelifts to their buildings for years. These buildings currently deface the city, thereby setting back efforts of the state government to beautify Umuahia and give it the look and feel of a capital city.”

He said that it is consequent upon this that “the state government, through the Umuahia Capital Development Authority (UCDA), is advising all landlords whose buildings need a facelift or routine maintenance to do so within the next four weeks from the date of this announcement.”

Warning that landlords who disobey this directive will face the consequences, Kanu said that it is in line with the Umuahia Renewal and Beautification Programme of the state government to make Umuahia look befitting of a capital city, adding that several steps have been taken to ensure the Renewal Programme will move on without further delay.