The Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, has signed the first Batch of Certificate of Occupancy (C of O). Announcing the development to newsmen in his office in Umuahia, the State Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Mr. Chaka Chukwumerije, said that the positive action was in fulfillment of the Governor’s pledge that the signing of the C/O and other titled documents would be done within a 30 days cycle.
Chukwumerije also announced that as part of the State’s building control measure, a Building laboratory would soon be established in the state, which will impact on the quality of material used across the building sites.
The Commissioner who said that 100 C/Os are ready for collection, revealed that the state is battling with about 2,000 backlogs of Certificates of Occupancy in existence since 7 years ago lying.
He assured that the new Abia of which the Lands and Housing is among will continue to ensure that land transactions, maintenance of public building/housing will not derail from the signature of the regime in the state, which is centered on transparency, efficiency and value.
Chukwumerije said that part of the year 2024 goal of the Ministry include: having the best land administration system in Nigeria; improved service delivery for Abians; revamping of public buildings to look better and have integrity; an increased volume of land transaction; issuing a million C/O and having a cleaner estate in the state, where land issues in Mbaisii and Lodu would be resolved; issues of double allocation and issues of people having allocation papers without doing the needful cleaned up; revoking the allocation and opening it up for other serious minded people and investors.
Chukwumerije who further disclosed that the Ministry is strengthening enforcement in terms of building control, appreciated the Umuahia Capital Development Authority, UCDA for doing a lot of work in the area of enforcement of building collapse and ensuring that people are not building in a haphazard manner.
Recall that the Ministry of Lands and Housing, Abia State, on December 11, 2023 embarked on an awareness in Aba and Umuahia on 30days duration for C of O, the only legal title to land ownership.
