Abia State Government has promised to stop all kinds of touting, extortion, harrassement and intimidation of citizens, especially in Aba, the State’s commercial hub and Umuahia, the State’s capital.
Ferdinand Ekeoma, special adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, who made this assertion Monday, stated that Governor Alex Otti, who is a renowned economist, believes that the gospel of ease of doing business, would be a mirage, if well intended but if practical measures were not put in place to create the enabling environment for investors and business men and women to carry out their legitimate business activities without hindrance.
Ekeoma, who is also a member of the Steering Committtee, Abia Harmonised Taskforce, explained that Otti didn’t just create the Abia Harmonised Taskforce after instructing for the dissolution of multiple and self-serving taskforces that existed in the State, but also gave a firm directive for the integration and unification of all taskforces into one body, but that they must be freshly and carefully selected in a manner that wouldn’t give room for the selection of undesirable elements.
In order to prevent all kinds of extortion from any member of the taskforce, Ekeoma said the governor approved a recommendation, which would see members of the taskforce remunerated on a monthly basis.
He said that the State steering committee chaired, by Uzor Nwachukwu, State’s commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, has ensured the creation of different zones and layers of leadership like zonal leaders, supervisors, team leaders, among others, to enable for effectiveness, command and control, as well as supervision.
According to him, with these measures, no body is allowed to wield absolute powers or indulge in infractions or acts of gross misconduct without being caught
“Already, Aba and Umuahia have since started witnessing some level of sanity, as touts who hitherto removed plate numbers, deflated tyres or hijacked vehicles belonging to innocent citizens, with the attendant extortion for alleged wrong parking, have since disappeared.
“Also, supposed revenue agents working for the government now clearly know the far reaching consequences of harrasaing or extorting innocent Abians.
“Again, the nuisance associated with reckless driving, wrong parking and illegal loading bays is being dealt a serious blow in different parts of Aba and Umuahia”, Ekeoma stated.
To ensure effective operation and hitch-free movement of members of the taskforce, he said that the Governor, a few days ago handed over 15 units of 18 seater buses to the taskforce to aid their operations.
He said that Otti is intentional and desirous of creating a new Abia that would have all the components and ambiance of a modern State, where decency, discipline and decorum, would be a cherished norm and an important enabler of socio-economic development.
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