ABIA STATE GOVT EXTENDS KEKE/OKADA MOVEMENT RESTRICTION BY ONE MONTH

REPORTER: PEACE AGBO

Abia State Government is to introduce Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), powered buses to aide movement of commuters in the state.

Speaking with journalists at the Government House Umuahia on the outcome of this week’s executive council meeting, the state Commissioner for Information and Culture, Prince Okey Kanu, said the plan was to complement the operations of tricycles and motorcycles in the state, especially at night.

Prince Kanu revealed that the planned enforcement on restriction of operations of tricycles and motorcycles in Aba and Umuahia scheduled for the July 1, had been postponed to August 1, 2024 and urged operators to form cooperatives for the accesment of the CNG buses.

According to the Commissioner, the state government decided to extend the enforcement date in response to the yearnings of the residents of the state to enable them to get more prepared for the effective implementation and enforcement of the policy.

He, however, said that other arrangements, including the enumeration and registration of all commercial vehicles, tricycles and motorcycles were still in place, stressing that it was part of the preparatory steps to the full take off of the policy.

On the ongoing uploading of civil servants credentials in the state, the Commissioner stated that a total of 36,875 academic certificates had been uploaded as directed by the government.

The Commissioner added that a total of 25,458 career documents had equally been uploaded while 7,582 had been moved to various institutions for verification and encouraged those yet to comply to do so in their own interest.

Prince Kanu further noted that despite the rains, various road projects of the state government were in progress, noting that the designs for the expansion of Abia Tower to Onuimo road was ongoing.

Answering questions from Journalists over the mess noticed around Corporative axis in Umuahia, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ferdinand Ekeoma, expressed the resolve of the government to tackle every mess at the area and relocation of traders to suitable area at the appropriate time.

He explained that dispersing the traders at Isigate without relocating them to a conducive area would cause a lot of economic challenges for people operating there.

EDITED BY CHUKWUBUIKE MADU