RESTORING SANITY TO THE OLD OGWUMABIRI UMUAHIA
By Emeka Nwosu, PhD.
Recently, it was announced that the Abia State Government has begun the demolition of buildings illegally erected within the old Ogwumabiri in Umuahia. For those who may not know, the old Ogwumabiri refers to the main market in the city centre of Umuahia which was relocated to Ubani Ibeku on the outskirts of Umuahia during the administration of Chief Theodore Ahamefule Orji. The decision to move the market became absolutely necessary on account of the perennial congestions induced by the poor location of the market.
The congestions always peaked during festive periods when vehicular and human traffic made movement within the city almost impossible. Those who had any business to conduct in the State capital had to suffer a lot of inconveniences as a result of the suffocating traffic occasioned by the location of the market. For many years, the people endured the situation with calls on the government to relocate the market so as to free the city from the perennial traffic bottlenecks.
It was an answered prayer when the administration of Theodore Orji moved the market. The expectation of Abia people was that the vacated site would be put into a proper public use. To their utter disappointment, the T.A. Orji administration showed no vision. Rather, what it did was to hand over the prized land to a private developer who proceeded to turn it into a venue for staging religious crusades and political rallies. A section was carved out where the developer commenced the construction of a mini housing estate that was later abandoned. The abandoned structures became a hiding place for criminal elements in the town.
It was so disgusting that a prime place like the old Ogwumabiri where everyone in Umuahia expected the government to put up a world class public facility was left in a miserable condition where it served no useful purpose to the good people of Abia State. Until the Otti administration stepped into the matter, the old Ogwumabiri had become a blight on the city. It was unfortunate that the Okezie Ikpeazu administration that succeeded T.A Orji lacked the vision to put the land to any use.
Otti`s administration deserves commendation for the deliberate steps it has taken to transform Umuahia into a befitting capital city. The decision by his administration to demolish all the illegal structures in the old Ogwumabiri and recover it for the construction of the ongoing world class transportation hub resonates well with the people of the State.
A statement released by the General Manager of Umuahia Capital Development Authority (UCDA), Mr. Kingsley Agomoh, said the demolition is part of a broader vision to transform Umuahia into a modern, world-class capital city. He disclosed that the former market space was allocated to a private investor by a previous administration for the purpose of building an event centre on a build, operate and transfer (BOT) arrangement, but they went ahead to build unauthorized residential quarters without government approval.
“The former market space was allocated to a private investor by the previous administration to build an Event Centre on a Build, Operate, and Transfer (BOT) basis.
“However, the investor unilaterally repurposed the space and started developing residential duplexes and apartments, contrary to the government`s planned purpose for the space.”
The UCDA boss, Agomoh, explained that the government has been engaging the private developer for the past one year and has offered a negotiated ex-gratia settlement that involves taking over the space for the building of a modern transportation hub that would integrate a bus terminal, train station and inter-city shuttles. When the transportation hub is fully consummated, it will make travelling a stress-free experience for residents and visitors as they are expected to make seamless connections by bus or train to any part of the State and country. This is a clear demonstration of visionary and pragmatic leadership by Governor Alex Otti.
There is no doubt that upon the completion of the project, it would add to the infrastructural beautification of the capital city which suffered gross neglect under the previous administrations in the State. By undertaking the demolition of the illegal structures and recovering the old Ogwumabiri, Otti has shown himself as a listening Governor. In a piece titled, “Reclaiming Back the Ogwumabiri Umuahia,” and published in 2023, I had drawn attention to the blight which the old Ogwumabiri constituted, and called on the government to demolish the illegal structures there and retrieve the land for better public use.
I had written:
“The beautiful plan of Governor Otti to turn the Abia State capital around would be grossly distorted if the Ogwumabiri is not reclaimed and put into a better public use. We cannot have a six-lane boulevard that runs from Abia Tower into the city and ends up in front of the abandoned Ogwumabiri. Governor Alex Otti has a responsibility to review the situation of the Ogwumabiri and recover the place in public interest. The existing structures in the Ogwumabiri should be demolished, including the uncompleted housing estate which has become a den of criminals.
“When this is done, the Governor, in consultation with his Cabinet and other critical stakeholders in the State, should consider erecting more befitting and modern facilities in the place that would serve best public interest. The Ogwumabiri as it is today is a blight in the city centre and should not be allowed to continue. The earlier the place is retrieved and reconfigured, the better for our State.”
We commend Otti for being a listening Governor and acting in the best interest of the people. That is what responsive and good governance is all about. With this additional infrastructure popping up in the city, Umuahia will definitely wear a better look befitting its status as the seat of power.
May Abia continue to prevail!
Dr. Nwosu, a Public Policy Analyst, writes from Umuahia.
Email: cdnwosu2@gmail.com