OCDA, Ministry Of Lands, Responsible For Delay In Industrializing Imo State—-Chief Okwara

By; Amaechi Kingsley
Over the years, the Imo State Government have been making concerted efforts to ensure that the State is been liberated from its usual civil servant, Hotel and Petrol station industry to a commercial industrialized economy.
In a press conference held recently at Seminary road Naze Industrial Lay-out Owerri, a business mogul and pioneer computer consultant and trainer in Nigeria, Chief Livinus Chukwudi Okwara who is one of the allotees of over 7 hectares of land at Naze industrial lay-out since 1983/84, expressed with bitterness the sorry state of Naze Industrial lay-out decades ago till date which he said has hindered industrialization in the state, he pointed-out that the sorry situation of the environment cannot induce investments by both foreign and indigenous investors within neighboring commercial cities of Nigeria due to the lack of essential basic amenities that can enable industrialist to kick start production.
Chief Livinus Chukwudi Okwara, also blamed the Owerri Capital Development Authority (OCDA) and the Imo State Ministry for Lands Survey and Urban Planning (IMLSUP) for not attracting the attention of the State Governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha to the pressing challenges faced of land allottees at Naze industrial lay-out which he said includes; good roads, drainages, electricity and security, adding that there have been several threat to life in the said area by hoodlums which prompted the construction of a police post that has not been completed till date.
He recalled that compensation negotiations with the families/community of Naze Industrial lay-out by the State Government had been the problem which led to the destruction of properties worth over N 500,000 till the responsiveness of the Rescue Mission administration delved into remedying the situation that had made allottee’s and families/community of Naze Industrial lay-out reach a memorandum of understanding.
He noted that more work needs to be done to foster industrialization as he unveiled blue prints of over 40 industries with the capacity to accommodate over 8,000 unemployed youths in Imo State including a computer assembling plant and a plastic manufacturing industry to be sited at the area.
While commending the Governor Rochas Okorocha for his people friendly policies, Chief Livinus Chukwudi Okwara revealed that he had on several occasions through the deputy Governors office suggested for lands to be easily assessable by foreign and indigenous investors, noting that if Imo State is made attractive for investors and industrialists, it will improve the State’s economy and minimize unemployment and poverty. “Not all investors can withstand the bureaucracy of land allocation process in the State”. He concluded.