Pascal Arogorn Ibe
The Imo State Exco members has directed the
immediate withdrawal of officials of the Imo
State Environmental Transformation Commission
(ENTRACO) from the state’s roads and streets.
The directive which was given on Wednesday
also includes that the police should arrest and
prosecute any official of ENTRACO found on the
streets or roads in Imo State demanding or
harassing motorists.
The decision was reached after the day’s weekly
State Executive Council meeting.
Briefing newsmen, the Commissioner for
Information, Chief Declan Emelumba noted that
the government had received numerous
complaints from members of the public on the
nuisance which persons who claim to be officials
of ENTRACO constitute to motorists on the roads
and streets of Owerri and its environs.
Hon. Emelumba further disclosed that Governor
Hope Uzoodimma got commendation for roads
he commissioned in Owerri municipality last
week.
“Council noted that in the history of the state, no
governor had awarded road contracts of the
nature Governor Uzodimma awarded and got
them completed and commissioned within such
a short period of time,” the Commissioners said.
Emelumba informed that the commissioner for
transport was directed to incorporate members
of the civil guard into his proposed transport
management template to be called Imo State
Traffic Management Agency pending the
completion of the legal framework that will spell
out the modus and its personnel.
The commissioner for works was
directed to revoke the contract of the Naze-
Ihiagwa-Obinze road and to urgently re-award it
to a more committed contractor because of the
strategic importance of the road so as to stop
the hardship the original contractor had
subjected the users of the road to since he got
the contract.
The banks, he said, have been urged to recover
the mobilization fee paid to the contractor
handling the now revoked Naze-Ihiagwa-Obinze
road.
On the corroded masts belonging to some
telecommunication firms in the state, Council
urged the Board of Internal Revenue to send
demand notice to the affected firms so that they
can pay for the environmental hazards such
masts have caused the state and its citizens.
According to Emelumba, the Council also took
critical decisions that affected ministries like
Environment, Tourism, Works, and Transport.
He said Council urged that the Imo State Zoo at
Nekede originally domiciled with the ministry of
Environment be moved to that of Tourism so as
to enhance the potentials of the state’s
zoological garden.
Reactions have continued to trail the banning of the operations of the Imo State
Environmental Transformation Commission, ENTRACO, by Governor Hope Uzodinma.
It was gathered that the ban of ENTRACO operation, has earned the Uzodinma’s
administration love, praises and support from the people. They described the government as
a listening leadership to the people.
Some motorists who spoke to Newsmen in Owerri said ,“With this, I will start to support this government. Uzodinma has shown he
cares. We have suffered in the hands of these thugs and they treat us badly and collect our
money. They should be banned forever.”
According to another bus driver, along Wethedral road, who goes with the name, Mr Tobe,
said: “If you want to know how happy people are with this ban of these thugs that called
themselves ENTRACO, go round and talk to bus drivers. We are now happy with the ban of
ENTRACO, there will peace in Owerri and people can do business freely. We pray Uzodinma
will succeed.”
Governor Hope Uzodinma’s Senior Special Assistant,
SSA, on Public Enlightenment, Arinze Nwokedi, who further said: “You see this man, the
General Manager, Macdonald Ebere on the radio all the time talking against the activities of
these thugs. We studied this situation and found out that thugs of different forms what they
do is to just go and buy apron of ENTRACO, and begin to blackmail the name of this
government.
“Whereas the set-out goals of ENTRACO are clearly stated. The revenue these thugs go out to
collect are not paid into the coffers of this government they are doing it for their own selfish
gains.
“You can never know whether is the opposition that is doing this because they give maximum
injury to the people. I stopped about five different places where these thugs were harassing
motorists and when you try to find out who they are they will run away.
“I got some of their pictures and I sent it to the GM of ENTRACO, they said that they don’t
know who they are. However, the government does not collect on the road we operate a
treasury single account. So the ban was in response to the yearnings of our people.”
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