Existing housing estates in Asaba, the Delta state capital, particularly the Okwe and Fine Home Estates, are to be renovated to make them decent for habitation.
The Delta State Commissioner for Housing, Chief Festus Ochonogor, who disclosed this in a chat with newsmen, said government was desirous of giving the estates a face lift because they should not be left to dilapidate when still providing accommodation to government officials.
Ochonogor said the Okwe estate, currently being fenced to enhance security, would have been renovated but for not beating budget timeline, explaining that approval was being sought for it and the Fine Home estate on which work was expected to commence in the 2020 fiscal year.
He stated that the Okwe estate was being occupied by Heads of Federal Agencies in the state and some officials of the state government, acknowledging, however, that some of the occupants had no business being there and would be sent packing before the commencement of renovation.
The Housing Commissioner also spoke on plans to give the former Deputy Speaker’s quarter on DLA road a face lift, pointing out that the Okowa administration was determined to rehabilitate all existing estates and other public buildings in a bid to reposition the housing sector towards achieving a Stronger Delta.
Ochonogor said the Commissioners’ and Permanent Secretaries’ quarters on Cabinet road had been fully renovated, while preliminary construction work had commenced on the Chief of Staff and Secretary to the State Government quarters and office complexes, opposite the Commissioners’ quarters.
The Commissioner noted that work on the New Central Secretariat Complex, being supervised by the Directorate of Government House and Protocol, had reached an advanced stage and would be delivered by April this year.
He said government was committed to executing the various housing schemes for workers, adding that work had progressed on the Ibusa scheme made up of 150 housing units of one, two and three bedroom flats, while the Ugholu scheme of 10,000 units would soon take off with 1,000 units.
On the recently commissioned Appeal Court Complex, Ochonogor revealed that government decided to remodel and restructure the Maryam Babangida Women Development Centre because the state would have lost the opportunity of having the Court if it was to construct a new building due to the short notice given by the Appeal Court authorities.
He said the Complex was restructured in line with the special demands of the Court, describing the inauguration of the Asaba Appeal Court Division as one of the best things that had happened in the state since creation.
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