The Abia State Government has revoked the building permit for Treadmore Housing Estate in Ubani, Umuahia North Local Government Area, over alleged breaches of planning and regulatory requirements.
The Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, announced the revocation while briefing journalists at the Government House, Umuahia, on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting.
Kanu said the Umuahia Capital Development Authority (UCDA) had inspected the estate following complaints by residents about flooding and defective structures and discovered several infractions by the developer.
He said the developer had initially applied for approval to construct only two structures — a semi-detached two-bedroom bungalow and a three-bedroom bungalow — but subsequently expanded the development into an estate.
According to him, the development was also found to be lacking critical planning and regulatory documents, including a survey plan, site plan, site analysis report, layout plan and environmental impact assessment report.
Other outstanding requirements, he said, included evidence of payment of administrative fees as well as technical inputs from relevant professionals and government agencies.
“Consequently, in view of the foregoing infractions, the building permit of that estate has been revoked. Further steps to address the issues arising from this unfortunate situation will be duly communicated to the press,” Kanu said.
The commissioner said Governor Alex Otti had also directed the constitution of an inter-ministerial committee involving the UCDA and the Ministries of Works, Environment and Lands to develop a lasting solution to the recurring flooding in Ogurube and Ehimiri layouts in Umuahia.
He said the committee had two weeks to submit its report, adding that the government was committed to tackling the flooding problem through a coordinated intervention.
On the Emede Ibeku flood and erosion control project, Kanu said substantial progress had been recorded, with 100 per cent of the erosion sites cleared and 90 per cent of lateral filling completed.
He added that excavation for drainage had reached about 95 per cent completion, while concreting of drainage structures stood at approximately 90 per cent.
Kanu expressed optimism that residents of the affected communities would soon begin to benefit from the intervention.
The commissioner also disclosed that the state's public health advisory for Week 40 was focused on protecting communities affected by flooding.
He urged residents in flood-prone areas to observe appropriate health and safety measures to reduce the risk of disease outbreaks as the government continued efforts to mitigate the impact of flooding.
On the reintegration of Abia indigenes returning from abroad, Kanu said the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection had received nine additional returnees from South Africa within the previous two weeks.
The returnees, he said, comprised one adult male, three mothers, four children and one infant, all of whom had been successfully reunited with their families.
He added that arrangements were being made for the evacuation and return of about 100 more Abia indigenes from South Africa in the coming weeks, with documentation and other logistics being processed.
Providing further details on the Treadmore Estate development, the UCDA General Manager, Kingsley Agomuo, said the approval for development of the property was originally granted in March 2015.
According to him, the developer approached the authority in 2024 with a proposal to construct a market on the site, but the application was rejected because the proposed development was inconsistent with the approved use of the land.
Agomuo said the land was reserved for agricultural purposes and that a subsequent UCDA inspection found that construction activities were taking place on the property.
He said the authority consequently issued a stop-work order before sealing the entire property.
The UCDA boss said records showed that the only approved drawing relating to the property covered two housing units, stressing that several mandatory procedures had not been followed in the subsequent development of the estate.
He, however, assured people who had purchased properties within the estate that the government was working to resolve the situation.
Agomuo said further information would be provided to affected property owners as the government determined the appropriate way forward.
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