Obiano And The New Awka Capital City

OBIKA CHIDIEBELE

Proper planning is critical for effective development of all segments of the society. This is necessary to create conducive environment for healthy living. With this objective in mind and through the visionary leadership of Gov. Willie Obiano, The Awka Capital Territory Development Authority (ACTDA), was established to among other things, draw up a Development Master Plan for the Capital City.

Awka, the capital city of Anambra state, before the administration of His Excellency, Chief Willie Obiano, had the ambiance of a glorified rural settlement: the poorly done roads were dotted with potholes, no road signs and infrastructure, no streamlined pattern for streetlights, houses were built randomly without specifications, the drainage were shallow, blocked, and rain water caused flooding, shanties dotted the cityscape; there were no visible infrastructure to standout the Capital city.

However, the emergence of the Obiano’s administration marked the beginning of the end to a gloomy looking state capital.

The administration along with its team, immediately swung into action: works began on the roads within the capital city, including the federal high ways, blocked drainage were desilted and widened for easy flow of rain water, three elegant flyovers were constructed within the city which beams with neon lights at night. All efforts were/are geared towards improving the aesthetic view of the state.

Work is on going at the International Conference Centre, Awka, adequate security provided and the entire city comes alive at night due to the strategically planted streetlights on every street within the city, buildings along the major highways with overlong fences were reduced to 0.9m as specified by the master plan. Shanties and illegal settlements were dislodged in line with the urban renewal program of the State government.

The Awka Capital Territory Development Authority through Mr Okwuosa, the Managing Director said it would demolish all buildings under high tension electricity transmission lines in the state. A statement which had been backed with immediate actions. Thus, making the city  to wear a new look.

Recently, in a strategic attempt to fit the Awka city according to its Master Plan, the government of Anambra state renamed the former Ebele Onyekwelu Street, to “Club Road”. This move which for all intents and purposes was precipitated by the avalanche of clubs situate along this road was due for renaming. Obviously, this is our own “Las Vegas” in Anambra!

But as with the nature of man to resist change, malicious controversies trailed the harmless decision, as the Governor of Ebonyi State, His Excellency, David Umahi, described it as ‘discriminating’ against Ebonyi state and her people. But, this of course, was far from being true, as there was no attempt to balance the story as former Abakaliki Street was long lost to Ebele Onyekwelu who registered the Street name over five years ago with the Awka South Local Government Area.

Governor Obiano, being the last man to spite his fellow human being, let alone his Igbo brothers, has always been clear about what he wants to  do about the new Awka Capital City. Therefore, through the leadership of Awka South LGA, another street was named Abakaliki street within the city. The new Abakaliki Street runs from the Club Road, through Queen Suites to Enugu-Onitsha Expressway at the Parktonia Hotel end.

From the forgoing, it was clear that the renaming of Ebele Onyekwelu street to Club Road was given wrong interpretation by some persons.

Today, orderliness has been restored to the city as the restriction of Commercial Motorcycles (Okada), from plying the greater Awka and Onitsha roads has recorded huge successes.

The administrations of Gov. Willie Obiano is not only poised to building a beautiful and elegant State capital that Ndi Anambra would be proud of, but to also build, secure, and deliver a safe, economically viable, politically stable and technologically driven greater Anambra to us.