…This has never happened in Nigeria – Dr. Chukwunwike

 

The Enugu State Government has announced that the Tomorrow Is Here Housing Estate, now nearing completion in Enugu, is a major housing project designed to accommodate families from the Aguowa and Ugbo Lawrence communities.

 

Governor Peter Mbah selected the two slums to be the first beneficiaries among over 20 slum areas in Enugu urban earmarked for redevelopment in line with the city’s master plan.

 

The first phase of the estate which consists of 103 buildings has 206 units of two-bedroom semi-detached bungalows, with solar-powered boreholes already in place, ensuring a steady supply of potable water and providing comfort for residents while the slums are rebuilt.

 

This was made known by the Commissioner for Housing, Dr. Martin Chukwunwike during an inspection tour of the estate on Thursday.

 

Dr. Chukwunwike stated that the 103 buildings would have been completed by now but for delays caused by rainfall and the area’s challenging topography, assuring that the project would be completed by the end of July.

 

“This is the Tomorrow Is Here Housing Estate. It will provide temporary accommodation for people to be resettled from the slum. This one is meant for residents of Aguowa and Ugbo Lawrence. The estate has a total of 103 buildings, each containing two-bedroom semi-detached bungalows, totaling 206 flats for 206 households. As of today, 99 units are nearing completion,” he explained.

 

The Commissioner further noted that a second phase of the project will feature three-bedroom flats to accommodate larger families.

 

“If not for the rain and the soil conditions, we would have finished much earlier. Our goal is to complete everything before the end of July”, he said.

 

He also disclosed that Governor Mbah has approved free transportation for the children of relocated families to attend the Smart Green School nearest to the estate.

 

Speaking on the estate’s road infrastructure, one of the project engineers, Engr. Uzo Lawrence, said that a 1.8-kilometre road network is under construction and will be completed within eight weeks.

 

“We’re constructing about 1.8 km of road. We’ve done significant lateriting because the soil here is mostly expansive clay. We had to excavate down to 90 cm, remove the unstable soil, and backfill with laterite to achieve a stable base. Within the next eight weeks, over 90 percent of the road should be asphalted,” Engr. Uzo said.

 

In his closing remarks, Dr. Chukwunwike praised Governor Mbah for his compassionate leadership, saying that the governor’s decision to provide alternative housing before the demolition of the slums demonstrates a level of consideration rarely seen in Nigeria.

 

“The Governor has taken a humane approach, ensuring that no one is left behind. If this were some other places, bulldozers would have moved in within two weeks. But here in Enugu, this process has taken nearly two years, involving multiple meetings with landlords and the formation of a joint committee. The affected residents have been carried along every step of the way,” he said.

 

“The Governor believes that being poor should not mean being thrown away. Since the residents cannot afford to build their own homes, the government is stepping in to build for them. This is unprecedented in Nigeria where government builds and gives away houses free of charge,” the commissioner concluded.