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IN fulfillment of his campaign promise to upgrade Okpoko slum in Ogbaru local government area near the commercial city of Onitsha, Governor Chukwuma Soludo has commenced the rehabilitation of nine roads in the area at a cost of N9 billion.

The state executive council has approved the project measuring 14.053 kilometers with dual carriage, reinforced concrete media and sidewalks on both sides.

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The Commissioner for Information, Sir Paul Nwosu, who spoke after the state’s weekly executive council meeting said the project would be completed in 12 months.

At the meeting, Soludo also promised to build the abandoned Government House project in Awka within 18 months at a cost of N6.088 billion.

The state has been operating from a temporary Government House since its creation in 1991.

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According to Nwosu, the council also approved N241,439,316.20 for the full scale destiling and dredging of 62,034 cubic metres of Nwangene drainage which had been a source of nightmare to road users in Onitsha The project will also be completed in three months .

Other projects approved by the EXCO include the rehabilitation of the failed carriage way and embankment at Mmili John section of Oba-Ojoto road and the dredging of Mmili John which will cost N61,494,541.88 and is expected to be completed in six weeks.

Nwosu said: “The memo on the abandoned Government House and 25 other peripheral structures were presented by the Commissioner for Housing and considered by ANSEC and approved.

“Also endorsed for construction are gate houses, police posts, perimeter fence measuring 2.22 linear kilometers and other internal works such as drive ways, parking areas, walk ways, drainages, water supplies, green area, etc, which will be completed at the cost of N1.317 billion and to be delivered in nine months.”

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The Commissioner added that ANSEC frowned at the frequent cases of youths incursions into the lands of people who had appropriate government titles, warning that such a thing would no longer be tolerated.

“It came to the attention of ANSEC that some unscrupulous elements are selling parts of Mamu Forest Reserve. Government is poised to arrest and prosecute all those that are culpable in these unlawful land transactions. L

“For the avoidance of doubt, Mamu Forest Reserve is not for sale and any property developer or member of the public who allows himself/herself to be lured into purchasing parcel(s) of land there will have himself/herself to blame.

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“ANSEC has therefore directed relevant law enforcement agencies to immediately arrest such errant youths and prosecute them according to the law”, Nwosu said.

He said that to further improve the quality of health care delivery in the state, government, through the Ministry of Health, is to employ medical consultants and officers, pharmacists, nurses, radiographers, medical laboratory scientists and technicians.

He added that ANSEC has already directed the Commissioner for Health to interview the 4,400 applicants who applied for the jobs so that they would be immediately employed and deployed to the state’s health care facilities

(Vanguard)