UMUAHIA, Nigeria — The Abia State Government has embarked on a major urban renewal and housing initiative, confirming the demolition and clearing of two major legacy public facilities in the state capital to make way for modern residential layouts. The structural transformations are part of the broader metropolitan development plan orchestrated by the Governor Alex Otti-led administration.
Under the new directives, the former **State Civil Service Commission office** in Umuahia has been completely demolished, with the site fully cleared and designated as a fresh housing layout. Similarly, the grounds of the former **Abia Hotels**, situated along Finbars Road in Umuahia, have been cleared and prepared to host an upcoming residential housing project. State authorities emphasized that the aggressive reclamation of these underutilized government properties is a strategic intervention aimed at providing functional, modern, and affordable housing options for the citizens of Abia State.
The Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu, unveiled the comprehensive housing blueprints at the Government House in Umuahia during a press briefing on the outcomes of the week's Executive Council meeting, which was presided over by Governor Otti. Kanu reiterated the administration’s unwavering commitment to systematically tackling the infrastructural and housing deficits confronting urban residents, noting that converting aging or defunct state assets into high-density residential zones is a sustainable way to optimize land use in the capital.
Providing a status update on the engineering and logistics of the sites, the commissioner revealed that the land at the former Civil Service Commission has already been successfully surveyed, cleared, and parcellated into developmental plots. Meanwhile, the cleanup at the old Abia Hotels location is entering its final stages. Kanu noted that the Finbars Road site will be fully ready within the next fortnight for final parcellation and subsequent allotment to selected real estate contractors.
In a separate development during the executive briefing, the Abia State Government strongly dismissed circulating rumors alleging that children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds were being systematically denied admission into the newly established Smart School in Ubakala. The government re-emphasized its commitment to inclusive education, maintaining that the state-of-the-art facility remains open to all qualified Abia children regardless of their socio-economic status, as part of Governor Otti's educational equity mandate.
