Abia Deputy gov. Emetu wants all revenue leakages blocked, sues for calm at border communities

From PETER OKORE, Umuahia

Since its inauguration, on May 29, 2023, the functionaries of what could be described, as ‘the formative government of Dr. Alex Otti in Abia state (until the cabinet is constituted), has confined itself to fact-finding visits, holding meetings and interacting with stakeholders as well as the controlling government MDAs in critical areas of the state economy, to arm them(functionaries) while charting ways forward for the new Otti-led administration.

These fact- finding contacts have taken the deputy governor and the newly appointed aids to the governor to such sensitive ministries and departments like Agriculture, Trade and Industry, health, Education, Information, Youth Developments, parastatals and others.

On his own, the Deputy governor Chief Ikechukwu Emetu, who is also in charge of Internally generated revenue(IGR) in the state has had meaningful discussions with officials of the State Board of Internal Revenue, BIR, where he stressed the need to increase the state’s IGR by blocking the numerous revenue leaking windows that characterized out- gone administrations in the state over the years.

He also stormed the markets in Umuahia and Aba and met with their leaderships. There, he spoke on the need for discipline in all markets, adherence to the abolition of all illegal and un-authorized revenue collections, enforcement of the ban on touting as well as cleanliness of markets and their surroundings.

Realizing that border disputes/clashes often occur during farming seasons, Emetu, who is also the Chairman saddled with boundary matters, quickly summoned a meeting in his office in Umuahia with officials of relevant government ministries and departments, traditional rulers from border communities, Town Union officials and representatives of state border communities for a crucial meeting in his office.

Emetu used the occasion to make it clear to them that boundary demarcations are intended to make for administrative conveniences as well as for peaceful coexistence among boundary communities . On the other hand, boundary disputes or conflicts are detrimental to peace, as they create unpleasant consequences, such as destruction of lives and properties, abandonment of productive farmlands and displacement of people and their means of livelihoods from their original ancestral homes.

Moreover, the case of Iheosu community in Arochukwu Local government Area and plight of the people displaced readily come to mind. This community, with a population of about 8,000 were chased out of their ancestral home, overnight, since four years ago by Utuma people of Cross River state.

Schools, Churches, buildings, properties and economic wealth were abandoned and have remained so till date. Appeal to the military formation based at Ohafia by the immediate-past governor of Abia state, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, pleading that, at least, to help open the corridor for commercial activities to continue between the two states, while lasting solution is sought to resolve the cause of the conflict, fell on deaf ears.

Eyewitnesses say logs of woods were used to block the road, where the youths laid siege and killed many. Till date, Abia state government has not visited the troubled area and the natives are still roaming about in nearby communities of Arochukwu, Ututu, and Ihechiowa. Youths from the area are equally roaming the streets in Urban centres in search of unskilled labour, in order to feed.

BusinessHallmark recalls that when similar instances happened during the military era, Military administrators from then Old Imo and Cross River state converged at the troubled spot, spoke to the people and restored peace there. But nothing of such has happened since the clash occurred under the civilian administration. Till date Abia state government is yet to visit the troubled area; and the hope of Iheosu people to return to their ancestral home(Iheosu) again is very slim.

It is noteworthy to know that Abia has boundaries with seven other states of the federation and no farming season passes without experiencing one form of clash or the other there. According to findings by BusinessHallmark, rather than using natural features, like hills, mountains, rivers, etc, to determine or demarcate boundaries, the Justice Mamman Nassir Boundary Report of the 70’s, instead used streams (that disappear during dry season) and trees (that perish with time or due to human activities) to determine boundaries of former Old Imo state with neighbouring other states.

In their response, the permanent secretary, Bureau of Politics, Office of the Secretary to the State Government, Franklin Onyema and the state Surveyor-general, Anthony Ivuonye, attributed the failure in handling internal disputes to, what they called, logistics and lack of operational vehicles, among others, and appealed for the support of the government to succeed.