Soon the less privileged in Ebonyi State will have a new lease of life as Africa Nations Development Programme, an Abuja-based NGO, has begun the cons
Soon the less privileged in Ebonyi State will have a new lease of life as Africa Nations Development Programme, an Abuja-based NGO, has begun the construction of a N7bn New City free for them. Sited at Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government area of Ebonyi, when completed, it will contain 5,000 units of modern two-bedroom detached houses, schools, police stations, markets, hospitals among others.
The project is one the many that will be sited in each state of the country with that in Cross River having been launched and will cost the organisation about N2.7tn. Already, Akwa Ibom and Cross River States have provided land for the project in the South-East, including Enugu State. Also, Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa and Adamawa have promised to provide land in scattered locations for the project.
Dr Samson Omojuyigbe, Director-General of the ANDP, during the ground breaking ceremony at Uburu on Saturday, said that the project was aimed at giving hope to the most vulnerable segment of the society who are buffeted on all sides of the economic divide.
“This is important to us because the project is one of our efforts to ensure the practical fulfilment of the dream of the ANDP in providing relief for the suffering people of Africa.
“I feel particularly happy that Ebonyi has become one of the leading states to benefit from the project presently after overtaking two other states hitherto in the run for the project. I, therefore, congratulate the government and good people of Ebonyi as a member of the frontline states to proudly benefit first. The most gratifying issue is that the state government will not make any contribution towards the project but will provide lands and the enabling environment to achieve its success,’’ he said.
Mr Benjamin Eze, Country Director of ANDP, said that it was an offshoot of the United Nations Development Programme Initiative which undertakes programmes and projects to enhance the lives of the less privileged in the society.
“The Ebonyi government would invest no funds into the project which involves 5, 000 detached bedroom bungalows with facilities such as roads, electricity, schools, police posts and other security installations, hospitals and fire stations among others,’’ he said.
Punch
