Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti has handed over five newly refurbished and retrofitted Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) vehicles to the Nigeria Police Force.
This is as the Governor has advised security agencies not to allow equipment and operational tools in their custody to dilapidate but use them wisely.
Speaking while handling over the vehicles at the Government House Umuahia, Governor Otti said that his administration on assumption of office 20 months ago met the vehicles in terrible states of disrepair.
“When we came in exactly 20 months ago, on the 29th of May 2023, we saw littered here these vehicles in very terrible states of disrepair,” Gov. Otti stated.
The Governor said that he took the bold step of repairing the vehicles knowing that they have long been abandoned and rendered unusable, adding that the last one has been taking to Abuja in furtherance of the repairs and refurbishing process.
“Being that I know that these vehicles have a long staying power, we took a very principal decision to refurbish one or two of them. By the time we started, we found out that it was not too difficult and therefore I authorised that about six of them be repaired.
“Five of them are ready, while we are still struggling with the last one. Five of them have been completely retrofitted and they’re as good as new. It’s all about maintenance and our belief is that never again would we allow our assets to dilapidate to this state. A lot of things that we throw away can be easily fixed and we have demonstrated it,” Gov. Otti stated.
Governor Otti while stressing on the need for all to cultivate maintenance culture, vowed that never again would public assets be allowed to deteroriate, as such takes a lot of money to be repaired.
He charged those the vehicles would be entrusted to their hands to ensure that they are judiciously used with regular maintenance.
“So, I will charge the men that would use it to ensure they’re used carefully and anything that needs to be repaired, to be repaired quickly because if you don’t, you will spend two to three times more to repair it and I am glad that we’re here today to return five of them to the police,” Gov. Otti stated.
In a vote of thanks, the Commissioner of Police, Abia State Police Command, CP Danladi Isa, thanked Governor Alex Otti for his numerous support to the Nigeria Police, saying that it is glaring in the public.
He said that the Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC) would help them improve on their security duties and promised that the police would make judicious use of the Vehicles.
