The Abia State Harmonised Taskforce was set up by Governor Alex Otti as a replacement for the numerous illegal and extortionist Task forces that hitherto existed in different parts of the state, especially, Aba and Umuahia.
In setting up the Taskforce, which was in line with his campaign promise to Abians, Governor Alex Otti had the following objectives:
To stop extortion and harassment of innocent business men and women in different parts of the state.
To stop the extortion, intimidation and violent attacks on motorists, which in the past had led to avoidabke accidents, injuries and sometimes deaths.
To encourage visitors and investors who were afraid of coming to the state for one engagement or another, because of the chaotic and hostile environment created by these touts masquerading as Government Task forces, to now freely visit without fear of being molested.
To ensure sanity and orderliness by making sure that illegal parks, parking and roadside trading are checked to ensure decency and free flow of traffic.
To stop drivers, especially truck drivers who drive into the city centers at the wrong hours and others who drive against traffic from doing so.
In setting up the Taskforce, the government did the following:
Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies were tasked to submit names of people from their MDAs who would be members of the taskforce.
Government believed that this strategy would help ensure sanity.
The State was divided into two operational zones; Umuahia and Aba, led by two Zonal Coordinators.
Different operational units were created, made up of unit members and unit Coordinators at the state and zonal levels.
The Taskforce was Structured in a manner that would ensure effective checks and balances, as well as command and control, with a view to checking abuse of power, extortion and compromise.
All members of the taskforce, except leaders of the state Steering Committee who are government appointees are remunerated, including those who are civil servants.
The leadership of the taskforce carries out periodic reviews and assessments of its performance, to ensure that it’s keeping to the mandate of the Governor. During such reviews, members who are found wanting or incompetent are dismissed, while those involved in any form of extortion have been repeatedly fired and handed over to security agents for prosecution.
Also, those caught harassing or intimidating innocent citizens, especially business persons and motorists are usually made to face serious disciplinary actions, including dismissal and prosecution.
Members of the taskforce are made to wear their official uniforms which bear their identification numbers to enable members of the public to identify and report erring genuine members.
They are also made to use only their Operational Vehicles , the 18 seater Hummer Bus bearing “Abia State Harmonised Taskforce”. This is to prevent illegal activities done using rickety vehicles or Tricycles.
A few months ago, some members of the taskforce were violently attacked and injured by some touts around the Osisioma Flyover while they were trying to stop those who were loading their vehicles by the roadside and causing unnecessary traffic. Security agents attached to that particular team of the taskforce showed great restraint and professionalism even when the attack was extended to them.
There have been other numerous reports of unprovoked attacks on members of the taskforce, a sad development that has demoralised some of the operatives.
A few days ago, operatives of the taskforce intercepted a Heavy Duty Truck driving around Asa Road Aba in the afternoon, against the restriction imposed by the State Government. The Operatives mandated the Truck to reverse and go back and park until the time they are allowed to operate.
In the course of reversing, the Truck damaged a Tricycle that was parked nearby. Immediately, all the Tricycle Operators who had had issues with the Taskforce Operatives over their illegal use of the area as Tricycle Mechanic, pounced on the operatives, attacking them with dangerous objects and destroyed some parts of the official Hummer Bus used by the Operatives. This was conspicuously captured in a video.
As it’s the practice, the State leadership of the Harmonised Taskforce set up a team to investigate the fracas and establish who did what. After thorough investigation, it was discovered that members of the taskforce, neither involved in extortion, harassment nor any other unlawful or provocative act to have warranted what happened to them.
Having established the innocence of its operatives, Abia State government subsequently swung into action and arrested three of the attackers while other suspects were on the run.
The arrested suspects have been handed over to law enforcement agents and shall be arraigned in court immediately.
The reason why Governor Alex Otti dissolved all illegal taskforces and stopped all kinds of extortions, especially the so called loading fees being paid by Commercial Tricycle, Bus and Taxi operators in the past was because of the love he has for struggling Commercial Motorists and Tricycle operators. However, the Otti led-government understands the job of the taskforce to be very tedius and herculean, and thus would not allow those who thrive in lawlessness to harm or stop them from discharging their legitimate duties assigned to them by the state, for the good of the people and the state.
In the light of the above, Government wishes to strongly warn that it would not sit idly by and watch some lawless persons unleash unprovoked violence against other innocent citizens, including members of the Harmonised Taskforce. Anyone who has any legitimate grudge or grievances against any operative or operatives of the taskforce should not hesitate to report it officially and watch the government act decisively like it has repeatedly done. The government is for all citizens.
Those who hid under the umbrella of Political Opposition and applauded the attack and shared the video widely should know that as enablers of an alleged crime, there are consequences for their actions, and that the appropriate security agencies will not hesitate to invite them whenever it’s deemed necessary to come and explain what they know about the attack.
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