Delta State Ministry of Urban Renewal has served verification and stop-work notices to erring property developers in various parts of Ughelli and Kwale, headquarters of Ughelli North and Ndokwa West local government areas, respectively, as well as Ughelli South.
A demolition notice was also served on the F-Whytt Hotel under construction along Isah Road Ogwashi-Uku, the headquarters of Aniocha South Local Government Area.
The Commissioner for Urban Renewal, Engr Ifeanyi Anoka whose message to staff at the Area Planning Office in Ughelli, Otu-Jeremi and Kwale was relayed by Deputy Director of Town Planning, TPL Charles Egba, said the two-day exercise in the three local government areas was a fact-finding mission aimed at finding out any challenges faced by the town planners before going out to the field for the routine development control exercise.
Members of the team from Asaba included TPL Charles Egba, Director of Urban Development, TPL Godwin Okore, Assistant Director of Town Planning, TPL Eddy Ewesuedo, TPL Darlington Nwajei, the ministry’s Public Relations Officer, Mrs Nelly Okpakpor and others.
Anoka urged the staff to take their duties seriously, keep accurate records, adhere to laid-down accounting processes and always be punctual at work, warning that “it is no longer business as usual”.
In Ughelli, action was taken at a building under construction as a warehouse at the former Ocean Bank, along Market Road, Ughelli and another building also along Market Road which is being developed for purely commercial use although it was submitted as mixed-use. At Oduaran Street, off Post Office Road, a building was discovered to be on the waterways, among others. Notable among the erring developers was the owner of a two-storey building resting on ordinary pillars, without concrete works along Ughelli-Patani road, by Otogor, Ughelli. Egba observed that such a building is likely to collapse at any time, just as APO 1 in charge of Ughelli, Mr. Sylvester reported to the team that the owner always threatened to harm them, claiming that his son is a colonel in the Army. In Ughelli South Local Government Area, the team took action at Frankchris Universal Concepts Limited, Otokutu, Petrotec at DSC expressway, Mote Gardens, Glassfa Prima Hotel which is currently developing a five-storey building and others at Oteri road and along DSC expressway, Otokutu.
At Kwale, they visited an LPG facility along Kwale-Ogume road, belonging to Sterling Global Limited for not having an approved building plan despite being an international oil company. Others are Royal Galaxy Hotel, Rainoil Filling Station along Ashaka Road and numerous properties where several infractions were found.
They were found not to have an approved building plan or not building according to the approved building plan, inadequate setbacks, under assessment, among other offences. Consequently, they were served with verification or stop-work notices depending on the infraction. Meanwhile, the F-Whytt Hotel under construction in Ogwashi-Uku was served a demolition notice.
The Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Charity Ehimen, said that to engender safe and seamless urbanization across Delta State, the exercise will be sustained across the state, adding that the ministry is very serious with development control in helping to realise the Meaningful Development aspect of the MORE Agenda of Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. (Elder) Sheriff Oborevwori.
