By Stella Onyeobi
Delta State commissioner for Lands and Surveys, Mrs Kate Onianwa has expressed the readiness of the State Government to develop satellite communities within the state capital territory with a development plan.
The Commissioner stated this in her office in Asaba when the members of National Union of Real Estate Developers, Asaba branch led by their chairman, Mr. Osita Ugwu paid her a courtesy call.
Onianwa said that what captured her interest in the group’s presentation was that they wanted to develop the satellite communities with a plan just as she stated that the government had spent huge amounts of money to correct illegal structures in the state.
The commissioner also stated that the capital city needed to be decongested by developing satellite communities.
“Ogwashi-Uku, Isele-Asagba, Ibusa, Okpanam communities are satellite communities that need to be developed to decongest Asaba, we must create a friendly atmosphere for developers to come in,” she said.
She pledged her support to the group and expressed the readiness of the government to support them just as she said that she was very optimistic that there would not be any problem in the course of carrying out the assignment.
Earlier, the chairman of the association commended the commissioner for her support and her open door policy in running the ministry.
He, however, said that his intention was to develop Ogwashi-Uku, Isele-Asagba, Ibusa, Okpanam communities, adding that Asaba was over populated as a result of its proximity to Onitsha commercial city.
Mr. Ugwu stated that Asaba was strategically positioned hence its proximity to the East and West would always attract investors, stressing that investors must not concentrate in the capital city but should move down to the satellite communities.
The chairman also assured the commissioner of beefing up security in those satellite communities by installation of CCTV cameras in those cities.
He also lamented on the challenges they were always facing in the course of acquiring lands from the host communities.
”The host communities also pay heavily, at the end some of our colleagues are discouraged to continue with the development plan, we have good intentions for the state but they wouldn’t create a friendly environment for us, this is development with the plan we are talking about,” he said.
In his remarks, the member of the union, Prince Emmanuel Eze also stated the need for land owners to lodge their plans in the ministry in order to ascertain the genuineness of the land and to encourage the developers.
He harped on the need for town hall meetings to create such awareness.
