Natives of Ossah, Umuoriehi, Mgbaja and Amankwo, all in Umuahia, the Abia State capital have appealed to the state government to give them time to exhume and rebury their loved ones buried along the stretch of Ossah Road before the demolition of their buildings.
Abia state government is set to construct a 6-lane Boulevard in the state capital, running from Abia Tower of Peace on the Enugu/Port Harcourt Expressway, through Ossah, Mission Hill to Okpara square in the city centre.
About 130 buildings would be demolished to make way for the Boulevard.
Property owners along the road who made the request during a Town Hall meeting with the commissioner for Lands and Housing, Chaka Chukwumereije at Ochendo International Conference Centre, Umuahia, also appealed that more time should be given to them after payment of compensation to enable people salvage their belongings and relocate before commencement of demolition.
Speaking, the Commissioner said time was of essence. “We’re on injury time and our equipment are ready to move in any time (and start demolition).
“We have a responsive and responsible government. We are not in a hurry to demolish but in a hurry to develop the state,” Chukwumerije said.
The Commissioner said the essence of the meeting was to also notify the people that government has started payment of compensation to land owners along the road whose buildings would be demolished.
“The offloads have been sent to the office of the State Accountant-General to start crediting their accounts.
“Now we have come to a point, as promised by this administration, of payment of compensation before work starts on that road. We had always mentioned that we are a government that believes in due process; that in carrying out what is within the right of the government for the greater good of Abians, we will always have a human face.
”Payment of compensation has started. The process is online and direct crediting of the account of each of the claimants, having collected each of their account numbers,” he added.
Some of those whose buildings would be affected during the demolition exercise, appealed to government to honour its words with regard to the compensation payment.