Uzoma Ozurumba, Project Manager, Enyimba Economic City Development Company, says compensation of landowners in the affected communities will be completed between January and February.

He said that half of the communities involved in the project had been enumerated and assessed, preparatory to their compensation.

Ozurumba disclosed this on Thursday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Aba, Abia.

He said that the enumeration of the landowners would be concluded before the ground breaking ceremony of the economic city scheduled to take place in the first quarter of 2019.

“Currently, what is going on now is enumeration. You know they have been having series of engagements with the communities.

“This is to enable us know who owns what, what is on the land and the agreed terms for compensation.

“Over 50 per cent of the communities that are involved have been covered so far. It is expected to be completed hopefully by the first quarter of next year.

“We plan that before the ground breaking ceremony, the issue of compensation would have been settled.

“We are very keen on maintaining the equity principle of ensuring that communities are carried along so that we do not have issues of restiveness and community unrest at the project.”

Ozurumba said that the infrastructure design of the city containing the communication system plans, water supply, road networks and other facilities, had also been completed.

He said the project, which would be in phases because of its size, was moving fast, adding that Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority had credited it with the first to get licensed at a record pace.

The project manager said that Abia Government was supporting the project, adding that its ministry of lands was handling the enumeration of the landowners and negotiations with them.

He noted that securing the free trade zone licence for the city had opened more opportunities in the company’s negotiations with foreign firms and heightened their interests in the project.

Ozurumba said the project would not end with the ground breaking ceremony in the first quarter of 2019, having shown lots of promises hence the huge investments so far made by the investors.

The project, which he stressed would not be abandoned being private sector-funded and having gulped billions of dollars, was on course to full realisation following Federal Government’s involvement.

NAN reports that recently, the Federal Government signed an agreement with the state government and the economic city managers to take up 20 per cent of the project valued at N100 billion.

The city, which would cover about 9, 803 hectares, spans across Ukwa East, Ukwa West and Ugwulagbo local government areas of the state. (NAN)

– Jan. 3, 2019 @ 13:55 GMT |