House Of Reps To Otti: We Commend You For Restoring Security, Dismantling Criminal Hideouts in Abia

A week after holding a crucial security meeting in the state, the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on Security at Umunneochi, Abia State, has commended Governor Alex Otti for the positive steps he has taken to restore security and order in the state.

The Committee particularly praised Governor Otti for dismantling the kidnapping operations and other criminal activities that had festered at the Lokpanta Cattle Market area of Umunneochi, along the Enugu-Umuahia-Aba Expressway.

The Committee led by Hon. Obi Aguocha, a Member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia North/South Federal Constituency, rising from its interactive sessions with security agencies, traditional rulers, and other stakeholders from Umunneochi, had visited Governor Otti on Saturday to brief him on the outcome of their findings as well as hear from him.

Kazie Uko, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, in a press statement, said that some of the Committee members, who spoke during the visit, recounted their encounters with those they interacted with during a townhall meeting held in the course of the Committee’s assignment.

Said Hon. Eze Nwachukwu Eze, representing Ebonyi/Ohaukwu Federal Constituency: “Your Excellency, as we approached Lokpanta, we saw a different environment, at which point I asked Godwin (Hon Amobi Godwin Ogah) what is happening here? So much has happened there. He told us that together with himself, you have decided to do the needful, to sanitise the environment and chase out the hoodlums who are being harboured there.

“A lot of praises for you but at some point we told them, keep those praises, let us have what we can do, or tell the National Assembly to get this insecurity behind us.”
Hon. Eze told the Governor that the request from the stakeholders included fencing the market, and asking that nobody live close to the market. “Your Excellency, Much of what they are asking for, you are already doing,” the lawmaker said.

Speaking, Rt. Hon. Kwamoti Bitrus Laori, representing Demsa/Numan/Lamurde Federal Constituency of Adamawa said: “Yes, we were there at the town hall meeting. As my colleague said, you have done a lot in respect of security because whoever got up to speak would always commend you for your efforts, even the security personnel there confirmed that. I want to appreciate you specifically for that.”

Responding, Governor Otti welcomed and thanked the federal lawmakers for their encouraging words. He said that criminality knows no tribe or religion and that his Government does not care about the resident’s state of origin, so long as you live in Abia, you will be treated as an Abian.

“Our Government knows no Northerner, Southerner, Easterner. We believe that anybody who is a Nigerian should be protected.
“Development can never happen when there is insecurity. We want to develop our place and the best thing to do is to ensure that our people are secured,” the Governor said.

He reiterated his earlier pledge during his meeting with the Northern community that the Government would support the vulnerable people among them, who may not have the means to rent houses, but made it clear that the Government will not set up a separate community for a particular set or group of people.

According to the Governor, everybody should live together to know what their neighbours are doing.

Part of the strategic moves by the Abia State Government to permanently restore security and order in the area is the conversion of the popular Lokpanta cattle market to a daily and general purpose market, where people can purchase other items like electronics, textile materials, and food items other than cattle.

He thanked the lawmakers for their efforts and told them to let the National Assembly know that the State Government had already started doing the needful and was happy that they were coming to complement the efforts of the State.

“We wouldn’t mind any support you can give to us, seeing now that we are also going to spend money fencing the place, remodeling the shops, and ensuring that they meet 21st-century standards. Also, given the promise that we had made to support the vulnerable part of that market who cannot afford to pay rent, to support them to get places in the villages,” Governor Otti told his visitors.

Members of the Committee are Hon. Obi Aguocha, representing Ikwuano Umuahia North and South federal Constituency and the committee Chairman; Rt. Hon. Kwamoti Bitrus Laori, representing Demsa/Numan/Lamurde Federal Constituency of Adamawa; Rt. Hon. Jonas Okeke, Representing Ehime Mbano/Ihitte Uboma/Obowo Federal Constituency in Imo State; Hon. Eze Nwachukwu Eze, representing Ebonyi/Ohaukwu Federal Constituency of Ebonyi State; Hon. Amobi Godwin Ogah, representing Isiukwuato/Umunneochi Federal Constituency of Abia State; Hon. Emeka Nnamani, representing Aba North/South Federal Constituency of Abia State.

Others are Abdullahi Abba Kabir, Ad-hoc Committee Clerk; and Busaris Adegbola, Ad-hoc Committee Deputy Clerk.
Last week, Otti, chaired the third general security council meeting of the state.
The meeting had in attendance the heads of all the Federal Government security agencies in the State including the Army, Navy, Police, and Department of State Security (DSS).

Also in attendance were heads of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and Immigrations and Federal Roads Safety Commission (FRSC).

Others at the meeting were senior government functionaries led by the Deputy Governor, Engr. Ikechukwu Emetu. They include the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Kenneth Kalu; the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Dr. Caleb Ajagba; the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ikechukwu Uwanna; Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Navy Commander Macdonald Uba (rtd.); and the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Homeland Security, Mr. Chukwunenye Alajemba.

Equally in attendance was the Chairman of the Abia State Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Linus Nto.

The meeting, according to the SA to the Governor on Security, reviewed the security situation in the state, especially with the approaching yuletide season.

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