Anambra marketers fidgets as Ocha Brigade set to enforce order in Anambra’

Kenneth Okonkwo is the Managing Director, Superintendent General Operation Clean and Healthy
Anambra (Ocha Brigade). In this interview, he stressed the need to maintain orderliness and cleanliness in the society and charged Anambra residents to give vital information on  their environment as well as report all irregularities from his field workers to the distress numbers he released.

HOW far have you maintained cleanliness, law and order in the state?
  Indeed, anything that has to do with taxation and revenue is very tedious. People see us as devils in human incarnate, but it will never way us down. Enforcing people to pay taxes under my supervision must be inline with the vision and mission of Governor  Obiano to promote Anambra State to the next level of Dubai. If the enforcement is not applied, the state will never be clean. I know I have attracted enemies on my side, by arresting defaulters and sending them to jail for one offence  or the order. I do it in line  with my conscience and fear of God. I have promised God  not to use my office to victimize people, but rather for the good interest of general pubic. I am a pioneer of this agency and will create and develop the state in my little capacity.
  How have people complied with  execution of your duties?
  Number one problem in the state is indiscipline and lack of manners. People don't want to be checkmated. All they want is problem and confusion which some use  to make money. Sometimes they attack my men on duty, lynch them because they carry their duties. I am sure my men are working in line with the approved way of operation. For example, some people sell on drainages, some on the entrance roads of markets and if you ask them, they will say  they paid for the spaces.  Not only that they paid for the spaces, they equally pay every day to some tax collectors.  So why won’t they fight you when you want to displace them.  So we need more support from government to over -come this.
  What support do you need from government?
  We need moral support.  We need editorial write up, more apparatus for awareness.  Sometimes, people call governor to report to write off the agency, giving him wrong information.  Thank God governor doesn’t listen to them.
   How have you sensitized people to comply to the  rules?
  From December 2014 after our inauguration, we have been on sensitization, creating awareness by using public address system going through Nnewi, Onitsha, Awka.  We have been doing press conferences, we have organized sensitization with police, army and navy joined together .  We had gone to markets, but they are adamant.  I don’t see any reason they should sell on the road or drainage.  Some carry on their trades on tarred roads.  When you arrest them to pay, they will say you are wicked.  They keep calling you names, sending ugly text messages and so on.  Now Okada and Keke are restricted yet they still don’t want to adhere to the order.  If they government empowers us to arrest them, it will be another level of wickedness.
  How do you checkmate the activities of  your men?
  For now I supervise  every unit.  I go to field with them.  I train men from every ministry, environment, health, lands, ASWAMA, education, Mass Transit and many more.  I train them and send them to ministries where they will work.  On monthly bases, I change or reshuffle them.
  Is there any security or alert number you may give the public to enable them reach you when there are irregularities on the part of your men?
 Yes we have two numbers for anyone who wants to report illegal activities from my men.  The numbers are 08160004542 or 07064289545.
 How will you rate the success of  APGA National convention?
   This is the first time in the history of Nigeria where a convention is held without any hitches. This has shown that Governor Willie Obiano, Akpokuedike Aguleri is a man with vision.  He has all it takes to Govern a nation not  state again.  His strategies are wonderful.  He knows who to get involved in any movement not minding whom you are or where you come from.  He can convert his enemies to work for him.
  What are your expectations from the new party chairman?
  For every change, there should be drastic changes in that society.  We expect a lot of changes, be it attitudinal or operational change.  We expect those changes that were not there in the past to be introduced.  I mean positive change that will promote the party.  Anyone who has served the party in any way should be remembered.  Aggrieved and forgotten members who had been rejected should be called back.  There should be job creation and empowerment especially from the party members who are jobless and had served the party.