Crime: Report Criminals To Security Agents– Gov. Orji Urges Abia Landlords

Posted by African Examiner Uncategorized Sunday, December 15th, 2013

IGNATIUS OKPARA, Enugu

Abia state Governor, Theodore Ahamefula Orji has appealed to landlords in the state to always have detailed information about their tenants, just as he enjoined them to report people of dubious and questionable character to law enforcement agents.

Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State

According to the Governor, such measures would go a long way in reducing crime in the State.

He made the appeal on Friday during an interactive session with landlords in the state at the Michael Okpara Auditorium, Umuahia.

Hear him: “As landlords, you know the character of those living in your houses.

“If there is anybody who has a questionable character and who is suspected to engage in criminal activities, just use your phones and let us know and then leave the rest for us.’’

Orji however, gave out the telephone numbers of Government House Chief Security Officer and Control Room to the landlords to use in case of security threats in their areas.

He also gave out the numbers of the Commissioner of Police and 14 Brigade Commander of the Nigerian Army in Ohafia.

The Governor said the heads of security agencies were ready to receive relevant information on security challenge in the state.

He also promised that his administration would initiate stringent measures to deal with those using his name to defraud unsuspecting people in Umuahia and Aba.

According to him, government was aware of imposition of taxes and levies by unscrupulous elements in the two major cities and promised to deal with the issue squarely.

He described the practice as double taxation, expressing regrets that the money being collected was not getting into government’s coffers.

He therefore, told the landlords to dismantle all projections being used for the display of wares in their buildings.

The state government he said, halted the demolition of the projections by the Umuahia Capital Development Authority in order to give the landlords time to dismantle them by themselves.

Government, he added, frowned at the conversion of residential buildings in Umuahia into shops.

He explained that the relocation of old Umuahia main market to Ubani Ibeku was borne out of his administration’s commitment to give Umuahia the befitting look of a capital city.

Governor Orji told the landlords that government had initiated discussions with land owners to acquire more land for the expansion of Ubani Ibeku market so as to accommodate more traders.

The governor also appealed to owners of private and public buildings in Umuahia to give their houses a facelift so as to enhance the state capital’s aesthetics.

He urged them to re-paint their buildings as many of them had remained unpainted for several years.

“You can paint the outside and leave the inside’’, he said, urging them not to go for the high quality and expensive paints.