The Enugu State government has descended on illegal buildings and structures in the Enugu Lifestyle and Golf City, also known as Centenary City.
The Centenary City was envisioned by the Enugu State Government and Private Estates International West Africa Limited (PEIWA) as a response to the severe housing shortage in the State. It is a model city that would expand Enugu City, projecting it as the city to live in and ultimately boosting the revenue drive and improving the infrastructure of the State.
To bring this dream to fruition, the State Government entered into a public-private partnership with PEIWA under the New Township Development Agreement (NTDA). PEIWA was to develop the City on an expanse of land covering approximately 1,097 hectares situated at Obeagu/Amechi Awkunanaw, Enugu Local Government Area of the State.
The agreement required PEIWA to provide technical planning and raise the necessary finance for the project, while Enugu State government was to provide Governor’s Consent and do all things within its powers to ensure the smooth completion of the project.
The Centenary City Project is a massive capital-intensive project aimed at transforming the state into a modern and vibrant economic hub. Designed around the style and comfort offered by the most advanced European cities whilst retaining broad African influences, the Enugu Lifestyle & Golf City is expected to be the best place in Nigeria to live, work, learn, play and shop. The structures and infrastructure were constructed with cutting-edge and cost-effective technology that accentuates finesse and sustainability. It is a city with efficient management and strict design and development standards that altogether ensure that consistent superior quality is delivered as the City evolves.
The features of the city include a golf course, green parks, schools, hospitals, recreation areas, state-of-the-art electronic security systems, a water treatment plant, street lighting, a wireless network, shopping malls, roads, drains, walkways etc. Most important of all, the Land Use Plan for the project specifically provides for the Commercial and Residential areas, the low and high-density communities detailing the house types allowed in the different communities.
PEIWA lived up to its end of the agreement by raising billions of Naira from Access Bank (formerly Diamond Bank) and via equity finance to finance the project. However, the project faced a major setback in November 2019 when PEIWA’s right of occupancy over the land was illegally revoked.
This action almost scuttled the project if not for the prompt action taken by PEIWA to secure a court injunction stopping the illegality from taking effect. The Enugu State Government, in its bid to encourage private investors and promote economic development in the state, intervened and reversed the action and has taken actions to provide the necessary support to ensure the project is achieved as planned.
A cartel of land grabbers took advantage of the situation and invaded the project. These individuals sold off the land to third-party buyers and erected buildings indiscriminately without regard to the City’s master plan. The buyers were repeatedly warned not to buy or build in the Centenary City via newspaper publications and other various communication channels.
During the early stage of the construction of these buildings, the Enugu State Capital Development Authority marked them as illegal constructions as they were being constructed without approvals and title documents.
However, the cartels continued their activities – building on drainage channels, designated green areas, and even on the golf course.
The government has. therefore, taken steps to correct the wrongs done by these cartels and ensure the restoration of the original master plan of the Centenary City Project.
The government is committed to fighting against recklessness and irresponsibility and ensuring that the state’s economic development is not hindered by lawless individuals trying to blackmail the government.
Recently, the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) jointly removed 13 buildings in Ajao estate, Isolo, for lacking approvals and permits and contravention of the state building laws. The buildings were also said to constitute security issues to the Muritala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, and were situated along a gas pipeline. In addition, the buildings were erected on the airport lands acquired by the Federal Government for the expansion of the international airport. The authorities engaged owners of the buildings and served notices on them before the commencement of the removal.
In the case of Enugu Centenary City, information available to the public shows that court orders barring those individuals from the building existed. Some of them were served direct court orders to stop building, and they still proceeded – which is pure recklessness and impunity. They defied court orders and built without approval, permits and consideration for extant building guidelines and standards for development in the new city — distorting the city master plan and converting the city to a slum.
Interestingly, when the government moves in to restore order and enforce development codes, these reckless and very selfish individuals will resort to cheap blackmail.
As a people, we must make a choice to root out impunity and the culture of “anyhowness” that has permeated almost every facet of our existence. Impunity and recklessness subsist because those who benefit from it believe they can get away with it. They trust that their cheap blackmail will elicit pity from the general public. This is not how to develop a sane society.
The Centenary City Project is an important project that will help transform Enugu State into a modern and vibrant economic hub. The government is determined to ensure the project’s timely and smooth completion and will not allow the reckless and irresponsible actions of a few individuals to hinder the state’s progress.
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