The findings showed that Awka South and Njikoka LGAs show higher compliance than the other LGAs.The reason lies in the length of time these LGAs have been in the contact with formal administration from colonial period to today. Although Awka South has been classified as pre-colonial urban centre, dating back to 1000 A.D. and as the industrial suburb of Nri theocratic empire, by 1917, when the Township ordinance was promulgated by Lord Lugard, it was classified as a third class township. This meant that from 1917 it was ruled by an advisory board. Awka has had varied political and administrative fortunes from headquarters of Onitsha North country council, to the capital of Awka South Local Government Area and finally to being the capital of Anambra State in 1991. As a result of this, Awka South has been exposed to some form of physical planning ahead of other communities nesting around it. Awka South is followed by Njikoka, where Abagana was also exposed to both colonial and post-colonial administrations.
The issue of LGA roads having the lowest level compliance can be explained by the fact that even though all the 774 LG headquarters were declared urban by the Federal Government and even though all LGAs were expected to adopt the 1992 Urban and Regional Planning Act, in fact Anambra state is one of the states that has not adopted the practice. Secondly, in Anambra state as in some other states, the state government has not allowed LGAs access to their federal allocations. In fact, local government elections have not been held except the one held from 1999-2003. Denied of their funds, LGs cannot develop their roads, while the state government concentrates on inter local government roads and major collector roads in the major towns of Onitsha, Awka, Nnewi and Ekwulobia.
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6.1.2 Planning and Policy Implications:
Evident from the findings of the study is that there is unacceptable level of compliance with approved road setback regulations for all three categories of roads. Some of the observed attendant implications of this is flooding, accidents, reduced level of aesthetics and lack of access to city overhead agencies in discharging their statutory functions. Atypical example is the impenetrability of Anambra State Waste Management Authority‟s (ASWAMA) vehicles to execute removal of solid wastes. The policy and planning implications of these findings are:
i. Land acquisition and planning: Consequent on Awka becoming the capital of Anambra State and poor level of planning operations by planning officials in the State Ministry of Lands, Survey and Urban planning and the parastatals charged with physical planning, such as the Anambra State Urban Development Board then (now Anambra State Physical Planning Board) (ASPPB), the major problem has been availability of public land for development planning. Government has been tardy and slow in acquiring land in compliance with the 1978 Land Use Act. As a result, communities within the Awka Capital Territory survey their lands, sub-divide the land into plots without regard to stipulated urban planning regulations. Except for land within Awka legal town where government, using the power of eminent domain, compulsorily acquired land in overall public interest, and allocated same to potential developers. Some is true of the housing estates belonging to Anambra State Housing Development Corporation(ASHDC) and Anambra State Home Ownership Company Limited (AHOCOL). Apart from these, it has been laisser faire in outlying towns, such as Amansea, Okpuno, Isuaniocha, Mgbakwu, Nibo, Nise, Umuawulu, which are witnessing the highest tempo of housing developments. Land speculators have been enjoying a free day. The only way out of the clandestine development which is responsible for poor setback compliance is for government to acquire all land within the ACT, pay communities for their land and institutionalize sustainable urban planning that
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will implement control regulation Hopefully this will be realized in Isiagu, where government intends to develop the Millennium CSity.
ii. The second policy and planning implication is the necessity to embark on sustainable urban renewal strategy that will ensure a healthy, functional urban settlement with the active corporation of the residents. The major problem here is whether government has the necessary funds to pay compensation to right title holders of land, whose property may have to be demolished to make way for roads and other urban public and community facilities. It must be emphasized that right land owners must be provided alternative land and be aided in developing their structures. This is why demolition has to be reduced to the barest minimum.
iii. The third planning and policy implication is the enlistment of public participation in physical development planning. The very essence of sustainable development is massive involvement of those likely to be negatively affected by any development endevour. In order to achieve this within the purview of this study, urban residents need a good dose of planning education, that will make them realize the disbenefits of non compliance with development control regulations and how best to go along within the domain in realizing a city that is livable. There are a number of strategies to realize this including making residents choose from a number of design alternatives, use of surveys, making planning teams reside in planning areas an d setting up committees on public participation(Muoghalu, 2001). On the use of survey, Gisans (1979) has argued that “sociology is a democratic method of enquiry; it assumes that people have some right to be what they are”. On the dissemination of planning education, it is argued that physical planners, especially at the localgovernments level should provide information and advice on the workings of the planning system and rights of individuals within it.
This does two things: selling planning competence and as strategy for reviving the battered planners‟ image in society as buttressed by this study.
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iv. The fourth implication is for development control officials to be transparent and honest in discharging their duty and diminish corruption.
6.1.3 Reflection of Sustainable Development, Externalities and Planning Standard in the