Gov Oborevwori To Town Planners: Ensure Strict Compliance With Urban Devt, Planning Regulations

The governor of Delta state , Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori has expressed the need for officials of the Town Planning Office and other regulatory authorities to ensure strict compliance with urban development and planning regulations. 

 He added that having a safe, secure and flood-free environment would require the regulatory officials and the public ensuring cooperation and strong partnership. 

 A statement made available to Team@orientactualmags.com noted that he said this on Monday during the visit of the National President and Executive members of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners to the Government House, Asaba. 

 The NITP officials were led by Mr. Nathaniel Atebije, the National President.

The  governor  noted that  the theme of the Conference “Planning Nigerian Settlements for Climate Change Adaptation and Flood Resilience’ is  timely in view of the devastating effects of flooding in the country. 

‘Town planning is a critical factor in preventing flooding in our urban centers and communities. The indiscriminate construction of buildings on waterways is something that must be addressed. 

This is a very timely topic, given the growing concerns about the problems associated with Climate Change and Global Warming. As you may be aware, Delta state is a coastal state and faced with the problems of erosion and flooding. 

The Delta state capital, Asaba, and the commercial capital, Warri, are the hard hit. But I am glad to inform you that the problem of flooding in Asaba has been reduced because of the storm drainage. 

Before now when there is rain, there will be flood everywhere but today it’s not so and the Warri storm drainage project is on-going and about 70 percent has been done. 

If not because of the challenges of having structures on our waterways that are not supposed to be there; from reliable information, you hear about town planners giving approvals to build on waterways, which is very bad. 

I have given order that any structure on the waterways that disturbs the flow of water should be brought down. So, town planners have a lot of work to do in Delta state’ he said.

The governor urged the town planning body to caution members from giving approvals without visiting project sites to ascertain the suitability of the environment for such buildings. 

‘So, when you are discussing, you should know that any time you give approval for a building, you should go to the site to confirm that the place is proper for such a building. 

As you may be aware, Delta state has done well in terms of attending to flooding issues. Thank God that this year we did not encounter any flooding issues again as earlier anticipated. 

As the saying goes, ‘water must find its level’. And when it doesn’t find its level, it sits back to result in flooding and urban decay. I had to order the demolition of such structures just recently in the Warri axis. 

Officials of the Town Planning Office and regulatory authorities must ensure strict compliance with the town planning and urban development laws. 

A safe, secure and flood-free environment requires that the regulatory officials and the public should ensure cooperation and strong partnership’ Governor Oborevwori added. 

Earlier, Atebije had  told the governor that they are in the Delta state capital for the 54th Conference and Annual General Meeting of the institute holding at the Event Centre , Asaba. 

He said the conference would provide a platform to interrogate the challenges of Climate Change, flood resilience and ways to provide mitigation measures, emphasizing that Delta, being a coastal state, would benefit from the programme. 

Mr Atebije, who commended Governor Oborevwori for his environment-friendly policies, enjoined him to meaningfully engage certified town planners in the Ministry of Urban Renewal in respect of the implementation of the master plan of towns and cities across the state-Team@orientactualmags.com
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