Abia State commissioner for Lands and Housing, Chaka Chukwumereije has tasked town planners in the state to be committed to their job against the backdrop of the ongoing transformation in the state.
Chukwumereije gave the charge while declaring open a one-day workshop organised for the town planners by the ministry with the theme: “Development Control and Best Practices”, in Umuahia the capital.
He said the workshop was not only very apt and timely, but also in line with the present administration’s resolve to build modern cities from the towns according to best practices.
His words: “There’s the need for you to always move ahead of the political leaders in intellectual prowess of planning as the ministry has mapped out the year for total training and retraining for the staff.”
While arguing that “there is pressure on the 6,320 kilometres of land across the state, he noted that its development is running faster than the planning.
The commissioner advised them to let professionalism serve as their guide “considering the level and strategies the Alex Otti administration has already adopted in doing things”.
According to him, the state has taken ownership of planning, considering the performance of the late premier of the defunct Eastern Region, Michael Okpara on agriculture and economic planning.
Chukwumereije, who challenged them to see the training as a way to success for themselves and the state as a whole assured them of all the support they needed..
In their respective remarks, the head of government control of the ministry, Faith Eze, and the resource person, Godson Ananaba described training as a perfect way to improve productivity.
They further said that capacity building unfolds the modern means of doing things and called on the participants to put into good use all they were taught.
