Capital City: Ebonyi gives deadline to relocate motor parks to central garage

BY VICTOR NWEGEDE

Ebonyi State government declared August 16, 2021 as the deadline to relocate all the motor parks in Abakaliki Capital City to the central garage designated opposite Margaret Umahi International Market.






This was made known in a joint briefing by the State Commissioner for Capital City and Urban Development, Barr Peter Onyekachi Nwebonyi and his counterpart, Pastor Eze Nwachukwu Eze who is in charge of the Market, Parks Development and Management on Friday in Abakaliki.

According to Barr Nwebonyi, the resolution we made during their meeting with all the motorists and other critical stakeholders in the transportation sector that ply on the roads in the state.



"We just finished meeting with all motorists and other critical stakeholders in the transportation sectors that apply on roads in Ebonyi State and resolved that, by 16th of August 2021, all parks within the Abakaliki Capital City will relocate to the permanent park called the Abakaliki Central Park situates opposite St Margaret Umahi International Market. And all motorists in the capital city are by this resolution ordered to start relocating to the central park with immediate effect," he unveiled.



He also 'warned an association of drivers known as UDISAM,' whom he said that goes about picking passengers along the streets of Abakaliki to henceforth desist from such operation.


He added that, "any further picking of passengers by the said drivers within the streets in the state capital, other than  the designated park will attract serious sanction including being proscuted in the law court as the Ministry of the Capital City has constituted a Special Court to handle that."

In a follow up, the Commissioner  for Market, Parks Development and Management, Pastor Eze Nwachukwu Eze, said the movement to the central park has been organised in a way as explained by his colleague, Barr Nwebonyi, noting that all the motorists within the state were fully briefed; with several meetings held to smoothing the relocation. 

He further said: "For you to relocate to the place, we also briefed them as agreed that the sum of twenty thousand naira (N20,000) is for the expression of interest, all which will be used to get the person's data, the company name, and rest of it, including the size of the land needed.

"Then, the registration of the company with the state government tied to the park is fifty naria (N50,000) per company or individual transport operator.


"After that the person is going to for the land, because the government wants to give you the land and allow you to own it for life.

"A C of O will be issued and a square metre is ten thousand naira (N10,000) only, upon payment and confirmation of the full payment, the state government will issue the Certificate of Occupancy to the applicant and this will strengthen their confidence in their business and make the government to be part and parcel of the business by granting them the authourity to operate in Ebonyi State.

He added the relocation to the central garage involves all the parks in the state capital city.

 
"Both Peace Mass Transit, Directors, Romchi, and all of the parks in Abakaliki Capital City will be in this central park. All parks before 16th of August 2021 are expected to relocate to the central park. The state government has made all the necessary arrangements for the smooth relocation, and it's ready for corporation, you can see tippers parked there, and other vehicles," he added.