Abia plans unified taskforce, end intimidation, harassment of citizens over revenue collection

From Boniface Okoro, Umuahia

In its bid to eliminate touting, harassment and extortion of citizens and residents, Abia State government is preparing to set up a unified taskforce.

When the unified taskforce is in place, all other operating taskforces, either inaugurated by the state or local governments, would be dissolved.

Areas of operation of the envisaged unified taskforce have been carved up into six jurisdictions, with Aba having four zones and Umuahia, two.

To prepare the personnel of the single multi-purpose taskforce which is expected to ne civil in its conduct and operations, government is planning a retreat for them this Wednesday in Aba.

“There will be a retreat later in the week for the take-off of the Unified Taskforce being set up by the state government, that is the one-stop shop taskforce that will handle all issues of enforcement of government businesses across the state,” Commissioner for Information and Culture, Prince Okey Kanu, disclosed while briefing newsmen on the outcome of this week’s Exective Council meeting.

The Briefing held at Government House, Umuahia, on Monday evening.

The Commissioner explained that the “retreat will grant the opportunity to dot every “I”s and cross every “T”s prior to their (taskforce personnel) formal outing.”

“Of course, you know that once they are in place, the issue of touting and unnecessary harassment of Abia citizens and residents on the road will cease,” he added.

Throwing more light on the taskforce, Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr Ferdinand Ekeoma, said that based on the zonal arrangements, coordiamators would be appointed to oversee the activities of the taskforce, expected to have a clean break from the past forms of crude operations by taskforces.

“There will be a unified taskforce. Umuahia is divided into two zones and Aba, four zones and there are going to be Zonal Supervisors or Coordinators who will monitor activities of the taskforce in the different zones.

“Members of the taskforce will be recruited from different Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and the local government areas and from outside the civil service.

“The essence of what government is doing, as far as this one is concerned,  is to end any form of touting, illegal taskforces and all the rest of them. We were used to having individuals harassing people, intimidating them, extorting them in the name of taskforces.

“So, we want to move away from the old order and that is why this one is well organised. The members will be known and they are all going to be remunerated. So, it is not the one where people will do all kinds of things to make money in the name of taskforce or in the name of collecting revenues for government,” Ekeoma said.

He said that during the Aba retreat, the taskforce personnel “will be educated on their operational mechanisms so that they will understand the direction the government is going.

“So, there will be nothing like multiple taskforces again,” he stressed.

Still on the modus operandi of the taskforce, Ekeoma said it will operate most responsibly.

“The taskforce will be well organised and strictly monitored and they will operate in the most responsible manner, away from what used to be the order of the day,” the Governor’s aide said.