Greater P’Harcourt: German Firm Begins Mapping
From Ahamefula Ogbu in Port Harcourt, 01.08.2010

A German firm, Ferner Kundung GMBN yesterday kicked off the completion of the geographic image mapping of Rivers State to enable engineering design of the utility provisions in the Greater Port Harcourt City planned by the Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi administration to commence.

Although officials of the Greater Port Harcourt City Development Authority led by its Administrator, Dame Aleruchi Cookey-Gam inspected the “Ortho-Photo mapping aircraft” in Port Harcourt, they could not say how soon the completion of the mapping would be completed.

They cited weather as a determinant of how soon they would complete the exercise but Dr. Sylva Opusunju explained to THISDAY that the mapping actually started from the Dr. Peter Odili regime but did not cover all parts of the state, especially the southernmost and northernmost parts.

He explained that to have proper data and plan without mistakes on the facilities that the city would have, there was need for full information and data, especially as the city covers many local government areas in the state.

“Without the proper data, it will be difficult to site the sewage and power water facilities without making mistakes. Sometimes, unless there is total mapping, the coordinates might even fall outside the state, so we had to ensure that the total imaging and mapping of the state was completed before engineering designs can be done”, he said.

A statement from the Development Authority about the commencement of work on the city called for developers to partner with them in the construction of over 30,000 housing units in the Phase 1 of the city.

Cookey-Gam said they were ready to advance incentives to such developers to the extent that there was a ready market of their houses as the state would take a set number from those completed.

The Authority also plans to assist in the mortgage arrangements so that banks would not be too strict with intending builders in the city though details of such assistance were not disclosed.

The Administrator pointed at roads and other facilities already being provided by government in the new city as a mark of seriousness and thanked people of the State for the support they have so far given to the project which she assured was in their greater interest.
She assured that the new city when completed according to plan would overtake other cities in the sub-region as the new hub of business and relaxation.

Na wa o!No be beans, But its all good.Hope it doesnt take to long,