Boluwatife Olatunbosun
Ebonyi Seals Former CBN Office Over Unapproved Hotel Conversion
The Ebonyi State Government has sealed the former Central Bank of Nigeria office along Ezza Road, Abakaliki, over its conversion into a hotel without the required building approval.
The enforcement action was carried out on Wednesday by officials of the Ministry of Capital City Regional and Urban Planning in collaboration with the Ebonyi State Board of Internal Revenue Services.
The inspection team, led by the Commissioner for Capital City Regional and Urban Planning, Hon. Richard Ugo Idike, and the Chairman of the Ebonyi State Board of Internal Revenue Services, Rt. Hon. Christopher Omo Isu, found that the ongoing conversion did not comply with approved building plans and due process.
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Following the discovery, Idike ordered the property to be sealed in line with the state’s physical planning and urban development control regulations.
The commissioner warned property owners and developers to obtain the necessary approvals before beginning construction or changing the use of existing buildings.
He said the state government would continue monitoring development activities to ensure compliance with approved building standards and prevent uncontrolled development in Abakaliki and other parts of Ebonyi.
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Officials of the ministry and members of its task force also urged property owners and developers to regularise their properties and secure the required planning and building approvals before undertaking construction or conversion projects.
The state government said the enforcement action formed part of its efforts to promote orderly and safe physical development within Abakaliki Capital City.
