…Vows to enforce ban on street trading from 2024
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Abia State Government has restated its resolve to clear all outstanding pension arrears before the end of December 2023.
Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, who gave the assurance while addressing newsmen after the State Executive Council meeting, said Gov. Alex Otti was fully determined to end the plight of workers and pensioners in the state.
“As a responsive and responsible government, this administration will keep to its promise. The Governor, Dr. Alex Otti will keep to his promises of paying off all the outstanding pension arrears. In the coming days we will be able to avail you information in that regard.”
He said that pensioners in the days ahead would begin to hear “good news” from the State Government.
The Commissioner who decried the activities of street traders on the newly-renovated roads in Aba, vowed that enforcement of ban on street trading would begin by 2024.
Describing their activities as serious menace, the Commissioner said Government would not continue to sit idly while they destroy the facilities.
He noted that efforts to dissuade the street traders from the wrong use of the roads met resistance, but said “enough is enough.”
“With all the efforts Government has made, this menace (Street trading) keeps rearing its ugly head, particularly in Aba. Incidentally, most of the new roads that the government has constructed, people use them to trade and this will not augur well for these new roads.
“There has been a lot of interface between government officials and the market authorities and in other instances, the culprits as it were, everything has been done, but to no avail. Despite the fact that this government puts human face in its activities. By the New Year, government will go all out to enforce the law.”
Speaking further, the Commissioner gave assurances that one lane of the on-going Ossah Road expansion project would be ready for use before Christmas.
He also assured that one lane of the Aba-Port Harcourt Expressway would be motorable from Aba to Obigbo border town before Christmas.
Emphasising road infrastructure as central to the Otti-led administration, the Commissioner said that 27 roads, had so far been reconstructed since Otti came on board.
He disclosed that some of the newly rehabilitated roads including Jubilee Road Aba (latest in the series), and others nearing completion would soon be inaugurated.
Contributing, Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Ikechukwu Monday, disclosed that the State Government had installed over 1,700 solar-powered street lights in Aba and Umuahia, in line with the operation light up Umuahia and Aba initiative.
According to him, this will help reduce carbon dioxide emissions, and serve as a step up to full renewable energy policy in the state.
“We started with Umuahia first, now we have moved to Aba. So, next year, we will be also moving to other communities. We want to make sure that every street and every village in Abia is lightened up. And we are replacing the conventional street lights with solar.”
He also disclosed a collaboration between the state and the Federal Ministry of Power to boost electricity distribution in the state.
“There is a project, which is 132 KVA line that is supposed to run from Umuahia to Mbalano, from Mbalano to Okigwe. This project was awarded in 2001 and it was abandoned. So, this project when executed, would have helped to improve the power supply within that axis.”
The Commissioner said that the project would recommence, adding that, another project of 120 KVA that also runs from Ohafia and Arochukwu will soon commence.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr Ferdinand Ekeoma, who was at the briefing, decried the recent cases of stealing of children in the state, vowing that those behind the dastardly act will be tracked.
He expressed Government’s sympathy with the affected families but assured them that security agencies had been fully mobilised to go after the perpetrators.
Ekeoma said Government would leave no stone unturned in the bid to rid Abia of criminal elements.
