Akpowowo Inaugurates Technical Committee On Urban Renewal In Delta

By Nelly Okpakpor

Delta State Commissioner for Urban Renewal, Olorogun Arthur Akpowowo, has inaugurated the state’s Urban Forum Technical Committee, with a call on members to come up with an aesthetically pleasant, orderly and functional environment.

In the event that took place at the Unity Hall, Government House, Asaba, Akpowowo stated that it was to ensure and enable all live and work in a sustainable manner.

The commissioner who commended the Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa for making concerted efforts to establish the forum, noted that it was a creation of the United Nations (UN) in 2021 to address global agitations on people and the environment.

He disclosed that Delta State Urban Urban Forum was established in 2006 but that its technical committee, which he said had the mandate to make expert input, was approved in January, 2021.

The Forum, he said, was meant to ensure that every stakeholder in the given society was made to partake in the urban development of the area, including the people that live in the places mapped out to be made urban cities.

This, he said, was to ensure that the right of all stakeholders were not infringed upon, saying that the United Nations believed that the right of the people in the slums must equally be protected in full.

ALSO READ: Are The People In Government The Only Ones Corrupt?

The commissioner listed the functions of the forum to include: identification of roles by the various stakeholders, identification of sources of financing of urban development projects in the state and monitoring of such projects to cushion the effects of redevelopment and resettlement where necessary.

Other functions are to identify non-governmental organisation (NGO) and other donor agencies that could be useful to the scheme; and to act as liaison between government and NGOs that could assist in relieving the burden of financing such projects solely by government.

According to Akpowowo, they are to also recommend the acquisition of any property or estate for overriding public interest such as public facilities and services.

They are also to hold meetings with representatives of the residents of the areas within which renewal scheme are to be carried out and are to engender co-operation and remove bickering and suspicion or encroachment upon others’ jobs among urban field actors.

The Urban Forum Technical Committee is chaired by the Director of Urban Development (DUD) and the Department of Urban Development is its secretariat.

The inaugurated members of the committee are the Director of Urban Development (DUD), Mr Sunny Efeunu; the representative of Ministry of Energy, Mr Ojianwuna Afam; and the representative of Ministry of Housing, Mrs Juliet Ogiehor.

Others are the representative of Ministry of Justice, Mr Jonah Akporuaro; the representative of Ministry of Transport, Mr Cathoris Ogbogbol the representative of Ministry of Environment, Mr Kingsley Ozomah; the representative of Ministry of Water Resources, Mr Eric Emeyazia; and Ministry of Urban Renewal Assistant Director on Urban Development.

The Commissioner for Humananitarian and Community services, Hon. Bridget Anyafulu delivered a lecture and appreciated the governor for establishing the forum.

The Chairman of Committee on Urban renewal Hon Oboro Preyor representing Bomadi Local Government in Delta State House of Assembly was present and commended the effort.