The government of Abia State has begun full implementation of its ban on street trading and illegal motor park operations in Aba and Umuahia, after the lapsed three months of grace.
This is also as the government has established mobile courts to try offenders at designated locations of the cities.
Prince Okey Kanu, the Commissioner for Information and Culture, who disclosed this at Government House , Umuahia during an interaction with journalists advised those engaging in such acts to desist forthwith.
Kanu further observed with dismay, the rise in vandalisation of public schools and property by certain persons in the state, stressing that such acts of vandalism must stop forthwith.
He mandated presidents-General of town unions, their executive members, traditional rulers and other stakeholders within the respective communities to take ownership of the public schools in their domains.
"We found out that people are busy vandalizing school properties and this ugly trend needs to be stopped so that the effort the government is making at reforming the education sector will not be in vain," he said.
As a form of palliative and empowerment programme to help businessmen and women turn their lives around for the better, he announced that the government will on Thursday this week launch a N1 million Interest Free Revolving Loan Scheme under the Abia Cooperatives Scheme for 9,200 Abians drawn from the 184 wards of the state.
According to Kanu, 50 beneficiaries have been selected from each of the 184 wards in Abia state to benefit from this first phase. The scheme is also an interventionist program of the state government.
"In fulfillment of one of his campaign promises, His Excellency, Dr Alex Otti will on Thursday the 11th of July 2024 officially launch the disbursement of interest free Revolving Loans to Abians under the Abia state Cooperative Support Scheme.
"This is meant to support minor, medium and micro business operators in the state. It will help to ameliorate the difficulties people are passing through in their businesses as a result of the prevailing economic hardtimes that are currently affecting the nations economy," Prince Kanu stated.
Throwing more light on the ban on street trading and illegal motor parks in Aba and Umuahia metropolis, the vommissioner for local goverment and chieftaincy affairs, Prince Uzor Nwachukwu said the government has so far shown understanding and applied human face to the enforcement and has now decided to act accordingly.
"Now, we want to get into implementation, having pleaded with our people for the past three months. We believe we have done enough. We owe all Abians a duty to ensure our cities are safe. That is exactly what we want to achieve and that is in the interest of all Abians. Now Government is attracting investors to come and invest in Abia. There must be sanity everywhere." Prince Nwachukwu declared.
In his own remarks, the Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Mike Akpara used he forum to deny the rumour making the rounds in town that he goes home,at the end of every month with 10 million Naira (N10M).
He said neither him nor other Abia state government functionaries takes home N10 million monthly from the government coffers. According to him, such rumours are unfounded.
His words: "I want to categorically state here, that the Commissioner of Finance(Mr.Akpara) does not take home 10 million Naira monthly . It is not done anywhere.
"I also want to say that none of my colleagues takes home such huge sums of money. The rumour alleged that some take home N5 million, while some others take home N3 million monthly. There is nothing like that."
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