Abia State Government on Thursday arrested touts and market leaders in Aba, for disobedience of the Government directive on the suspension of all levies imposed on transporters and traders.
Handing over the arrested touts at Area Commander Central Police Station Aba, Abia state Deputy Governor, Engr Ikechukwu Emetu said he embarked on the spot monitoring of adherence to immediate suspension of all forms of levies payable to Government by tricycles (Keke), taxies and other commercial vehicles plying Abia roads based on information on continuous extortion and illegal collection of such levies by some undesirable elements who are bent on being a clog on the wheel of progress of the Dr Alex Otti administration.
Abia state Deputy Governor, Engr Ikechukwu Emetu Emetu urged the Police to ensure that those who disobeyed Government directive on the suspension are brought to book and charged to court to serve as a deterrent to others and lamented that such illegal extortion do not get into Government coffers.
The Deputy Governor used the occasion to urge all Abians and residents that a new Government powered by Governor Alex Otti has come on board to change the narrative of many years of decay and corruption and warned against disobeying Government’s directives.
Places visited and monitored includes Ehi road by Asa Aba, Azikiwe by ASA, Eziukwu and Cemetery Markets, Aba – while those arrested are Chairman, Vice Chairman and Secretary of stockfish Association, Cemetery Market, and some touts extorting money from transporters.