Obiano's Housing Policy is Visionary ... Arc Okonkwo
Anambra State Commissioner for housing, Arc Michael Okonkwo has attributed recent housing development and the iconic monuments dotting the landscape of Anambra state to the political will and visionary leadership of the Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano.
Speaking at Meet the Media, a weekly programme of the governor's media team, Arc Okonkwo revealed that the Obiano administration has committedly invested in the development of a master plan for Anambra State with emphasis on the Awka Capital Territory development area and strategic city structures for the greater Onitsha, Nnewi, Ekwulobia urban development.
"Housing development in Anambra state is a growing effort to close the gap between housing supply and demand through social housing initiatives and other public-private partnership ventures", he observed. "It is to the credit of the Obiano administration that the Millennium City Project has been activated alongside many other housing development projects".
Continuing, the Commissioner noted that the state government under Gov Obiano has created a secure and enabling environment to attract partnerships from the private sector. "This was what gave rise to the iconic Millennium City which is being developed by MP Infrastructure Ltd", he added. Other segments of estate development in Anambra State under PPP include Efab Estate, Awka, Dubai Estate, Awka, Luxury Place Estate, Nkwelle, Corner Stone Estate, Awka among many others.
Beyond estate development, the housing ministry has been involved in the designing and construction of public facilities like the 10,000 capacity International Conference Centre, Awka. "We also designed the terminal building of the international airport, Umueri which promises to be a modern architectural masterpiece. It will be built on concrete base but with metal frames and glass finishes", said Arc Okonkwo.
Interestingly, the Housing Ministry is also behind the outstanding and artistic monuments dotting the landscape of Anambra state. Positioned on landmark locations across communities in the state, the monuments represent the traditions, culture, totems of Ndi Anambra and dignified personalities from their rich history.
Expounding on this, Arc Okonkwo revealed that the remodelled DMGS roundabout, Onitsha, represents one of such monuments. "There we represented the rich tradition of Onitsha Ado n'Idu, the elephant tusks of ancestral Igbo heritage and the image of the great Zik of Africa gracefully elevated within its receptacles.
"The Amawbia 'beacon of light' and others around the state capture the import of our efforts at highlighting the significant culture and tradition of our people through these monuments" he further stated.
The ministry has equally extended the development master plan to rural communities in a rural-urban development model. Arc Okonkwo noted that this is to ensure an even and orderly development of the state.
"We work in synergy with the Anambra state Physical Planning Board and other relevant agencies of government to effect this plan in our rural communities", he concluded.