Gov Mbah winning the war against insecurity –Investigation

 

.As Enugu bans illegal collection of fees, levies on highways

 

By Cosmas Chukwu

Directly on assumption of office, precisely on June 5,2023 Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah in  his first official security council meeting in Enugu, announced the ban on the Monday sit-at-home in the state.

Monday sit-at-home has been prevalent in the state since the illegal arrest and detention of the leader of the Indigenous People Of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu by the Federal Government, I spite of a court decision setting him free.

 

This has resulted in very serious damage to the economy of the entire South East zone.

So Mbah on assumption of office, while advocating for Kanu ‘s release, ordered that the sit-at-home be stopped forthwith.

He even held a stakeholders meeting  to solicit the support of opinion and religious leaders as well as other leaders in the state.

He went ahead and met with the traditional leaders and  authorities on this very  tangent issue that has been debilitating the economic development of the state.

However, the response though positively sublime, it was something else in operation.

The people of the state, having lived with the sit-at-home regime since August 2021 with the associated terror and fatalities associated with the enforcement found it hard to comply.

The threat by the IPOB splinter group of leveling fire and brimstone of defaulters coupled with what they had done in some places and time, helped in creating more fear and serious apathy on the people.

This situation continued despite Mbah’s pledge of security to the people.

It got to a head where the government had wield sticks against defaulters.

Traders were told to come to markets or risk ownership of the shops.

Civil servants were similarly ordered to report to the office every working day including Mondays or bid good bye to their jobs.

Army, police and security outfit were drafted to the streets especially in the urban centre’s.

On inspection of the markets and other places, some shops were locked when the owners were absent and this later led to fatalities.

However, the Mbah government has been able to get the traders to start opening as well as the banks and offices to start opening.

Happily, with this giant and tasking achievement, Gov Mbah has set the pace for governing the state and revamping the battered economy.

Just as he promised in his campaigns to frog leap the lowly state economy of just about 4 billion US dollars to a gargantuan level of some 30 billions US dollars at the end of his reign, he has started laying the necessary Rubicon for economic advancement.

And this Mbah insists, rested on a secure environment as no investor would want to come to an area fraught with kidnap, killing and all manners of terrorism.

Though it has been easy, many persons are already seeing the glimmer of hope occasioned by Gov Peter Mbah.

This will indubitably rub off on other parts of the South East suffering under the stranglehold  of sit – at-home which according to Mbah, does not serve the interest of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, his group and Biafran issue, but has been hijacked by some criminal elements of the situation.

And recently, Kanu has bespoke Mbah’s position and ordered that the sit-at-home be stopped.

Kanu had equally ordered that every Monday cease to be a day of protest but an Economic Empowerment Day in the South East, much thanks Gov Peter Ndubuisi Mbah.

As it stands now, Enugu is returning to the work stations and soon good governance would wipe out the sordid past.

Surely, Mbah is winning where his predecessors and contemporaries dared not touch their feet on.

Tomorrow indeed is here in Enugu and security is being entrenched.

However, Geared on fast-tracking the economy of Enugu state, Gov Peter has resolved to remove all hindrances, levies, fees and double taxation encountered by business people in the state.

Stating this position in a government notice issued and signed by Prof Chidiebere Onyia, the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, the government told the collectors of such illegal revenue to stop with immediate effect.

The details are fixed hereunder:

 

“The Enugu State Government views with utmost displeasure the  activities of those who constitute nuisance on our roads and deploy all manner of crude tactics to extort monies from vehicles transporting goods, farm produce and livestock in our state, in the name of collection of levies and tolls on behalf of government.

 

“Such anti-business activities of syndicates operating on our highways and roads are contrary to the current government’s determination to dismantle obstacles to the ease of doing business in the state.

 

The current administration of His Excellency, Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah shall not pay lip service to its stated commitment to expand the Enugu economy sevenfold by promoting economic activities, enabling private sector investments, offering incentives to boost the productive sectors such as  agricultural and agro-allied activities in the state. Those willing to engage in lawful economic and business activities in our state shall be encouraged to do so as they are beneficial to the state.

 

“Government is also taking steps to eliminate multiple and illegal taxation in the state, including collection of taxes and revenues by individuals via cash payments, manual issuance of receipts, and paper tickets. Government is convinced that tax and revenue collection must be convenient and friendly via technology while addressing leakages.

 

“In view of the foregoing, the Enugu State Government hereby bans the collection of levies and tolls along highways and roads in the state by individuals or groups of individuals purportedly acting on behalf of government. “They have been, by this announcement, put on notice to quit all highways and roads within the state as failure to comply will attract severe consequences.

 

“The ban takes effect immediately. A taskforce has been constituted to enforce the ban.

 

“Henceforth, anyone caught in the illegal act shall be prosecuted. Please be guided accordingly.”