Abia State Government on Friday, arrested the site engineer and manager of a popular cooking gas company located along the newly constructed Ossah road, Umuahia over destruction of road pavement.

The Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu who stated this while briefing journalists on the outcome of this week?s State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti, stating that government would no longer tolerate the malicious destruction of property put in place for public use.

?The state government is using this opportunity to call on communities, traditional rulers and youths to take ownership of all government properties within their communities. Government cannot be spending billions of Naira to ensure that necessary infrastructure are put in place for the comfort and convenience of the citizenry and unscrupulous individuals will be busy destroying these properties,? Kanu warned.

He regretted that such acts negate government?s efforts to turn Umuahia and Aba into smart cities and appealed to traditional rulers and youth leaders of communities to take ownership of facilities put in place in their areas by the state government.

Answering questions from newsmen, the GM Umuahia Capital Development Agency, Kingsley Agomoh said that over 15 manholes have been destroyed along the newly commissioned 6-lane Ossah road adding that government would no longer fold its arms and watch facilities put in place for public use willfully destroyed.

?More than 15 manholes have been removed and destroyed along the Boulevard. It is something no government should tolerate,? he stated disclosing that there have been cases when pregnant women stepped into the manholes opened up by people.

However as at the time of filing this report, those detained have been released on bail, while the company has been sealed and given time to repair the pavements.

Meanwhile, the state government has warned that it may sanction proprietors of schools that resumed academic activities earlier than the 23rd September resumption date.

Disclosing this also, the Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu regretted that some schools went ahead to resume for the session against government?s directives that schools should open on 23rd September for the 2024/2025 academic session, noting that the action runs counter to the strong regulatory measures being put in place by the Governor Alex Otti administration in the education sector.

He maintained that the Ministry of Education would carry out some investigations to find out those schools that flouted the directive on the due date for resumption of schools for the new academic year, stating, ?Some schools went ahead and resumed yesterday against the directive that was given by the Ministry of Education.

As the government is reforming the education sector, government thinks that it is necessary to ensure that a very strong regulatory environment is put in place to regulate the sector.

?Those principals who stepped out of line to reopen schools yesterday may be sanctioned,? he added.

Kanu equally informed that the committee on the recovery of school lands has observed that apart from private individuals, religious organizations, communities and market associations were part of those that took over public lands illegally, adding that the committee is not relenting in the task to recover all such encumbered parcels of land.

The Commissioner further revealed that the Abia state government would be hosting a delegation of South East council of traditional rulers on the 24th of this month, noting that the influx of investors, professional associations and other relevant groups to the state attests to the leadership qualities of Governor Alex Otti who has continued to make waves with the achievements of his administration after barely fourteen months in office. (Nigerian Tribune)

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