Sylvia Ngige Where women’s power meets real life
By Sylvia Tochukwu-Ngige [www sylviangige.com]
Every city we admire for its clean streets, functioning drainage systems, safe buildings and orderly neighbourhoods was not built by government alone. It happened because citizens and authorities agreed on one important principle: rules matter. There are 14 ways citizens can build a better and safer Awka that will last for a very long time.
In Awka and across the Awka Capital Territory, the message from the Awka Capital Territory Development Authority (ACTDA) is increasingly clear: residents must take ownership of the city — not only by paying their taxes and levies, but also by the way they build, dispose of waste, use public spaces and protect community infrastructure.
The message is simple: a better city starts with you. 1Here are 14 responsibilities every citizen should embrace to help build an orderly, safe, clean and beautiful community.
1. Get Approval Before You Build
Obtain the necessary planning approval before starting construction. A building permit is not designed to frustrate you; it helps ensure that your structure is safe, legal and compatible with the city’s development plan.
2. Build What Was Approved
If you receive approval for a two-bedroom building, do not turn it into a six-flat structure without obtaining the required approval. Unplanned changes can put unnecessary pressure on roads, drainage, water, electricity and other infrastructure.
3. Keep Roads and Drains Free
Do not build on road setbacks, drainage channels or other public spaces. That fence, shop extension or structure blocking a drainage channel may become tomorrow’s flooding problem.
4. Keep Your Environment Clean
Clean surroundings promote healthier communities. Every household has a responsibility to keep its compound and immediate environment clean and safe.
8.15. Pay Your Statutory Dues
Taxes, levies and other statutory payments help government provide and maintain public infrastructure and services. Paying what is legally required is part of responsible citizenship.
6. Be the Eyes of Your Community
Report suspicious or illegal developments through the appropriate channels. One illegal structure can obstruct drainage, block access roads and disrupt the development plan of an entire neighbourhood.
7. Participate
Community development does not happen when citizens stay away. Attend town-hall meetings, participate in sanitation exercises and support initiatives that improve your community.
8. Protect Public Infrastructure
Streetlights, transformers, manhole covers, roads, drainage systems and other public facilities belong to all of us. Vandalising or stealing them ultimately hurts the entire community.
9. Go Green
Plant trees and protect existing green spaces. Trees provide shade, reduce heat, help control erosion and contribute to a healthier urban environment.
10. Dispose of Waste Properly
The drainage channel is not a dustbin. Indiscriminate dumping of refuse blocks waterways and contributes directly to flooding and environmental pollution.
11. Respect Zoning Regulations
Residential areas should remain residential, while commercial and industrial activities should be located where they are properly permitted. Zoning is not merely about planning; it is about protecting lives, property and the quality of neighbourhoods.
12. Cooperate With Planning Authorities
When planning officials carry out lawful inspections, cooperate with them. Their role is to help ensure that buildings and developments comply with approved standards and that communities grow safely.
13. Maintain Your Building
Getting approval and completing construction is not the end. Buildings require regular maintenance. Cracked walls, leaking roofs, damaged foundations and other defects can become serious safety hazards if ignored.
14. Live Together in Peace
No meaningful development can thrive without peace. Respect your neighbours, resolve disputes responsibly and support peaceful coexistence within your community.
Sylvia’s Take
This is not just about government rules. It is about dignity, responsibility and the kind of city we want to leave for the next generation.
We complain about flooding, traffic, unsafe buildings and dirty streets. But sometimes, the city reflects our own choices.
If I build on a drainage, my neighbour may suffer when the rain comes.
If I dump refuse on the road, the consequences do not stop at my doorstep.
If I damage public infrastructure, I am weakening facilities that my own family may need tomorrow.
Planning approval is not punishment. It is protection.
Taxes and levies are not simply deductions from our pockets. When properly applied, they provide resources for public services and infrastructure.
Community participation is not an unnecessary burden. It is an investment in the place we call home.
Awka can become the model city we dream about — with better roads, functioning drainage systems, safe buildings, cleaner streets and more green spaces.
But that transformation will require more than government action. It will require millions of everyday choices by citizens.
Government must play its part. Citizens must play theirs. So, I ask you: Which of these 14 responsibilities will you commit to this month? Because the city we all deserve will not be built by government alone. It will be built by citizens who choose to show up.
Sylvia Tochukwu-Ngige
Founder, Sylviangige.com |
Where women’s power meets real life
Internal links:
1. Community development,
2. Sustainability tips
3. Governance
4. Anambra news
5. Sylviangige.com – Where women’s power meets real life
