The Ebonyi State government has sealed the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) office along Ezza Road, Abakaliki, over the alleged commencement of a hotel conversion project without the requisite planning and building approvals.
The enforcement action was carried out by the Ministry of Capital City Regional and Urban Planning in collaboration with the Ebonyi State Board of Internal Revenue Services (BIRS), during an inspection of the property.
The team was led by the Commissioner for Capital City Regional and Urban Planning, Prince Richard Ugo Idike, and the Chairman of the Ebonyi State Board of Internal Revenue Services, Chief Christopher Omo Isu, alongside management officials of the ministry and members of its task force.
Officials said the inspection established that work was ongoing to convert the former CBN office into a hotel without the necessary approval from the appropriate state authorities.
Consequently, the Commissioner directed the immediate sealing of the property in line with the state’s physical planning, urban development and development-control regulations.
Speaking during the enforcement exercise, Idike said the state government would not allow property owners or developers to embark on construction or alter the approved use of existing structures without first obtaining the required permits.
He said the enforcement was part of the government’s broader efforts to maintain orderly physical development and protect the integrity of the Abakaliki Capital City.
According to him, “Property owners and developers must obtain the necessary approvals before commencing construction or changing the use of an existing structure.”
The Commissioner warned that the ministry would sustain monitoring and enforcement operations against developments undertaken in breach of established planning regulations.
He stressed that development control was essential to ensuring that buildings and other physical structures complied with approved planning standards, safety requirements and the broader urban development framework of the state.
Idike further urged developers and property owners to regularise their properties and obtain the necessary planning and building approvals before embarking on construction, renovation or conversion projects.
He said the government’s position was not aimed at frustrating legitimate investments but at ensuring that development within the capital city was undertaken in accordance with approved standards.
The ministry’s management and task force members also called on developers to cooperate with relevant government agencies by securing the necessary documentation before commencing projects.
They maintained that compliance with planning regulations would help prevent uncontrolled development and promote a safer, more organised and sustainable urban environment.
The sealing of the former CBN office forms part of the ongoing development-control activities of the Ebonyi State Government aimed at enforcing physical planning regulations and ensuring orderly development within Abakaliki and other parts of the state.
