The General Manager Imo Housing Corporation Arc Chidi Okoli has said that the decision of the corporation to embark on the demolition of illegal structures within her Estates was born out of necessity not only to save guard the Estates from further delay but also to remodel and add value to them.
Arc Okoli who made the disclosure to Newsmen on Tuesday, explained that as Agency responsible for managing Housing Estates in the state, they would not fold their arms watch things go wrong in these Estates, according to him, their findings revealed that some people living within these Estates take laws into their hands and erected structures/buildings on the water ways, green verge, drainage channels, flood plains, roads ways and even high rising buildings without approval thereby not only distorting their original plan but also creating problems with their activities such as floods and roads blockage etc, adding that their actions have lead to most people to develop cold fit in renting Houses in these estates, hence making the areas look busy and overtaken by hoodlums as hide outs.
The General Manager further explained that the corporation has gotten series of petitions from individual occupants and neighborhood Associations within these Housing estates concerning the anomalies and therefore, cannot allow such to continue.
He made it clear that the demolition exercise when commenced will be done with human face and not to witch haunt anybody as Governor Emeka Ihedioha of Imo State, a man with good Heart would not allow such, hence the exercise has been shifted to the 2nd quota of 2020.
The General manager made it point blank that the damages were done before the present administration came on board, but it is the responsibility of Government to save lives and properties of her citizens, so it is their duty to clean up the Estates, checkmate floods, provide security and by so doing, the Estates will be good and habitable, revealing that the corporation has concluded arrangement to remodel these Estates hereby creating decency and ambient environment which will not only raise the value of these properties but also attract investors as it is done in Enugu and some other cities, and further stating that very soon public buildings will mandatorily be maintained every 3 years to keep the facilities alive.
The General manager used the opportunity to reveal the plan of the corporation to Establish mini Estates in our LGAS in partnership with the Councils. He therefore advise the occupants in the Estates to make use of the opportunity of time to remove the shantees as the programme is for their good.
The Director of Public relations of the corporation Henschel Opara said that the exercise is targeted at upgrading the living conditions of about 23THousing estate belonging to the corporation across the State.
