From George Onyejiuwa, Owerri
Officers of Imo State Command of Nigeria Correctional Services living at the abandoned state headquaters at Avu, Owerri West council have been ordered to leave the facility with immediate effect as the state government had concluded plans to demolish the abandoned structure.
Sunday Sun gathered at the weekend that Governor Hope Uzodimma had already notified the state Comptroller of Imo State Correctional Services, Mr kingsley Njoku, of the intention of the state government to demolish the uncompleted and abandoned facility which is now being occupied by its officials.
However, some of the affected officials who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity said that the action of the state government had left them in quandary, claiming that they used their personal resources to make the place habitable in 2021,when it was allocated to them by the authorities of the state correctional services.
According to one of the officers, “in 2021, we were given allocation at the barracks with an allocation forms by the authorities of the state command. We used our money to furnish the building. There was an agreement to complete the quarters allocated to us. We re-roofed the place, tiled the floors, painted and dug the soak away to make the place habitable. The agreement is that we are officer-developers.”
He added: “But the state comptroller, Mr Kingsley Njoku, never informed the officers living at the centre of the latest decision of the state government to have the place demolished.”
Similarly, another affected officer said: “We were kept in the dark over the intention of the state government. It was when the place was marked by the Owerri Capital Development Authority (OCDA) for demolition that we inquired from the state comptroller what was going on. We also did not get any circular from Abuja because they were aware of the condition in which we were allocated the barracks at the facility at Avu. The state government should compensate us for the money we spent in making the place habitable and we should be given enough time to find new accommodation.”
When contacted, the spokesman of the Imo State command of the correctional services, Mr Goodluck Uboegbulem, confirmed the current situation. He said that the then government of Owelle Rochas Okorocha built the new headquarters for the state correctional services and also handed same to the Ministry of Interior.
“Our officers living there moved to the place after the ex-Governor Okorocha handed it over to the Ministry of Interior and the authorities of the correctional services were going to amicably resolve whatever issue with the Imo State government; that is the position for now.”
However, Hon Enyinna Onuegbu, who currently supervises the Ministry of Lands on behalf of Governor of Hope Uzodimma who is the commissioner, said that the officers of correctional services who were living at the place were illegal occupants.
He noted that the Ministry of Interior had out rightly rejected the structure built by then administration of Owelle Rochas Okorocha for not being up to standard.
He said: “Those officers of the Imo State correctional services living there are illegal occupants because the Ministry of Interior had earlier rejected the building saying it was not up to the standard required for correctional and custodial services as it was built with hollow blocks. So, if Abuja had rejected facility, why would the officers move to live there? Who allocated the place to them? It is the same with the police who also rejected their own. Now, we have officers of the anti-terrorism also illegally occupying the building and they have been asked to vacate too, so that the government can put the place to a better use. If you go to the Diaspora village Governor Okorocha built along the Okigwe road, you will also discover that people are occupying it illegally.