Governor Hope Uzodimma has already appointed the State Commissioner for Housing, Love Ineh, as the chairman of the State Mass Housing Committee, to oversee the projects.
Other members of include, the Commissioner for Lands Survey and Physical Planning, Noble Atulegwu; the General Manager of Imo State Housing Corporation, Chinedu Obi; Special Adviser to the Governor on Special Projects; Special Adviser to the Governor on Private Partnership Infrastructure and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Housing, who is a member/ secretary of the committee.
Ineh disclosed that the project would create new cities and boost the economy of the state, as well as make housing affordable. She urged all host communities to cooperate with the government.
She promised that the people would benefit from the scheme as this is the first of its kind in the history of the state. Ineh commended the governor for the initiative.
Meanwhile, the state’s panel on recovery of land has accused former governor, Rochas Okorocha, of forceful acquisition of the lands belonging to Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education (AIFCE), Owerri and allocating them to some individuals and institutions.
Submitting their report, the Chairman of the panel, Prof. Vitalis Ajumbe and B. F. Anyanwu, as Secretary, alleged that Okorocha administration used force to dispossess the occupants of the lands and buildings located at Shell Camp, allocated them to some of his associates, recommended that the government take back the lands and hand them over to the authorities of the AIFCE, Owerri, and thereafter issue them with a certificate of occupancy within six months.
The panel accused the ex-governor of using some hoodlums and military to dispossess the occupants of the lands, who are the members of staff of the institution and demolished 101 buildings after confiscating their property.
The beneficiaries, who have also been asked to vacate include Okorocha’s son -in -law, Dr. Uzoma Anwuka; former House of Representatives member, Kingsley Uju; a former Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Dr. Acho Ihim; among others.
The panel also recommended that the college pay compensation as agreed to the Orji indigenes, original owners of the land, while soldiers should vacate shanties erected within the vicinity and relocate to their barracks in Obinze, Owerri West Local Council.
Receiving the report, Uzodimma commended the members of the panel for executing the assignment within a record time. He promised that the government would take all the necessary steps and processes to implement the recommendations for the interest of peace and justice.
