Dan Opara
The Association of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners,NITP,Imo Imo State Chapter under the leadership of the State Chairman,Tpl Barr.Raymond Ucheoma, on Wednesday, 11th, December, 2019 held a two days annual conference with the theme:” Innovative,A Physical Approaches for 21st Century Cities”.
It was gathered in Owerri gathered that Town Planner’s main responsibility is to ease or avoid social, economic and environmental problems within their town of employment. Another major responsibility of a town planner is to develop these goals, most likely through research and discussions with elected officials.
While addressing the mammoth crowd at the Owerrri Hotel Plaza along Owerri/Portharcourt Road, the State Chairman,Barr.Raymond Ucheoma,described the year 2019 Annual Conference/Lectures Series as unique which seeks to address contemporary issues facing major cities of the country and globally in this 21st century.
He said,”this conference considered environment factors, the human factors and management of polices and resources. We cannot hold our heads high when our people live with flooding from every little rain as a result of wrong town planning”.
According to him, the innovative approaches will direct their energies in making the people enjoy their Urban,Semi-Urban and Rural settlements. In town planners there is hope, wisdom and strength of character, which will make us, pursue framework of our dear chapter and institute to identify various solutions which is to be adhered to, by the government at all levels”,he added.
At the event, there was series of lectures from TPL Prince Keke Chima on the “effective water supply and sanitation facilities distribution, service and management for Owerrri.
Arc.Dr.Chinwe.U.Okpochi,on the topic:”Resilent Housing design in Nigeria for the changing climate”.
Speaking at the conference, the representative of the Governor of Imo State,Chief Emeka Ihedioha, the Hon.Commissioners for Lands, Survey and Physical Planning,Hon.Sir.Bon Unachukwu, affirmed that the theme of the program could not have come at any time but now, because the new government is making great efforts to rebuild Imo state.
He further noted that, global economics, including Nigeria are making frantic efforts to establish polices and programmes to manage emerging challenges like development of informal settlements and slums, solid waste management, rising unemployment, sub-standard building materials, inadequate legislative and so on.
