Abia to go hard on enforcement street trading law next year

From Peter Okore, Umuahia

Abia state government says it will as from January next year commence full enforcement of the law banning street trading in the state.

This is also as government has planned to replace all conventional streetlights in Aba, Umuahia and others towns of the state with Solar energy supplies.

The state commissioner for Information and Culture Prince Okey Kanu announced these measures during a media chat with journalists in Umuahia, on the outcome of the week’s EXCO meeting, while flanked by the Commissioner for Power and Public Utility, Engineer Ikechukwu Monday and Special Adviser to the governor on Media and Publicity Ferdinand Ekeoma.

Kanu hinted that the, “government frowns at the massive trading going on along most of the newly constructed roads, particularly in Aba, saying that government wants the new roads to last longer and would not want any other activities on the roads, except for the purposes they are destined to serve”.

According to him, “government has discovered that most of the roadside traders have shades in the markets, while some land lords are said to be selling the spaces in front of their buildings, even across the gutters, for money”.

Jubilee and Cemetery roads in Aba as well as Isi-gate and Orie-Ugba in Umuahia, are said to be the worst hit areas.

The commissioner further said that massive street lighting of streets in the state metropolitan cities, Umuahia, Aba and other towns, is progressing rapidly.

Said he: “As a caring government, a lot of activities are on-going to enhance security and ensure safty of citizens during the Yuletide.”

In his own contribution, the Commissioner for Power and Public Utilities, Engineer Ikechukwu Monday hinted that the state government is collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Power to boost power supply in the entire Abia state.

A combined team from both the state and Federal Ministry of Power have met and also held meetings with communities the new power lines will pass- through.

“At the moment, we are trying to replace, even, the conventional streetlights with Solar power”, he said.

The commissioner further stated that under the new power distribution plan, the power-line from Ohafia would be extended to Arochukwu to complement the power- line from Akwa-Ibom state.