Abia begins enforcement against street trading, abuse of public facilities

Abia State Task Force on Infrastructure Abuse, an agency established by the State Government to sanitise Umuahia and Aba, the State’s commercial hub, has started enforcement.

In what appears as signaling the commencement of the formal enforcement of laws against street trading and other sundry abuses on infrastructural facilities, across the state, some vehicle owners in Aba on Thursday, January 25, 2024 had their vehicle plate numbers removed, by men and officials of the Task Force.

The vehicles affected in the operation that saw the Task officials storm many of the major Roads and Streets of the Commercial hub of the state were those adjudged to have been parked on double lanes as well as some other unauthorised places, thereby obstructing free flow of vehiclar and human traffics.

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The Task Force in December, (2023) last year embarked on an enlightenment campaign to inform residents of Aba on their readiness to compel a strict observation of all laws guiding the use of public facilities in all parts of the State, beginning January 2024.

The seized vehicle number plates and other items, according to the charge sheet posted on the windscreens of the affected vehicles are to be released after the payments of the sum of ₦10,000.

In the same vein, it was authoritatively gathered that the enforcement of other laws, particularly those against the display and or conduct of business activities on drainages, general street trading and other related businesses outside of markets and other designated areas will soon follow.

At the operational office of the Task Force at Aba Town Hall, headquarters of Aba South Local Government Area, most of the affected vehicle owners were seen making frantic efforts regarding how to effect the release of their vehicle number plates.

Although no official comment could be volunteered by the top hierarchy of the Task Force, as at the time of filling this report, an official said they are under the directives of the Abia State Government to enforce compliance, warning Aba residents to avoid packing vehicles on double lanes and other unauthorised places.

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The official, who craved anonymity, also vowed that no amount of blackmail, threat and or intimidation from anyone, would deter them from strictly enforcing compliance.