Imo: Duru tasks Uzodinma on housing deficits

 

Former director, Federal Mortgage Bank, Dr Godwin Chinedu Duru, has urged Imo state governor, Chief Hope Uzodinma, to do all he can to correct the housing deficits in the state before the state runs into housing crisis. 

In a chat with Blueprint in Owerri, the former executive chairman of Aba south LGA in Abia state who is also an Imo indigene,   from Amucha in Njaba LGA, lamented that the population of the state is increasing rapidly and that something urgent has to be done in the area of providing housing units to the people to match the increasing population.

He recalled that why he was the director of the Federal Mortgage Bank, he brought 500 housing units  to Naze, Owerri because he saw the need to develop the city.

“I want the governor to take housing in the state seriously because Owerri is getting over populated. If we had not had World Bank Housing Estate, I wonder what Owerri would have been. Housing is a special area that needs experienced people to manage, because there are other funds outside the state that used to fund it. I believe he should give serious attention to housing in Owerri because the city is entering into housing crisis due to the fact that hotels are taking and driving people out of their homes.

To check the housing deficit crisis therefore, Duru suggested that 1,000 housing units should be constructed every year in the state, adding that if it is not done, people would be out in the streets creating problems for themselves and the state.

The former council chair seized the opportunity afforded by the chat to describe Uzodinma’s Supreme Court victory as an act of God and that Imo people should be happy that a neutral person other than Uche Nwosu, former Governor Rochas Okorocha’s son in-law emerged as governor.

He commended the governor on the first step he made by continuing from where the former governor, Emeka Ihedioha stopped, describing it is “spirit of sportsmanship” which others would not have adopted but would have gone ahead to discontinue or destroy what they inherited from their predecessors.

He went further  to advise the governor to form a government of unity made up of technocrats across boards and party lines and carry everybody along because it has become Imo business. He said Ihedioha appeared to have problem because he appointed only members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) but that if Uzodinma forms a government of unity, he will unify the state and have a smooth sail in his government.

Duru finally commented on the current defection of Imo Assermbly lawmakers, especially PDP members to the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC).

He said, ” as long as they did not thwart the position of the law, they are in order. Again, PDP is in crisis. Samdaddy’s faction should not be forgotten. And the former  party chairman, Barr. Charles Ezekwem resigned citing maltreatment from the party. It is also good for the governor to have the majority in the House of Assembly to give way for the smooth-running of government. If he is in the minority, things will not work well for him.”

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