Idemili North chairman warns touts to leave town, Commence desilting of drainages

By Uzo Ugwunze

Irked by the illegal activities of touts in Anambra State, the caretaker committee chairman of Idemili North Local Government Area(INLGA), Hon. Chuks Igboanua has warned touts and illegal revenue collectors to stop their nefarious activities within the LGA vowing to deal ruthlessly with any touts caught, saying out that they portray the image of Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State and the people of the State in a bad light.

He made the vow during the special sanitation exercise carried out recently in INLGA. The Chairman reiterated that such menace of the touts would not be tolerated in his domaim as it is a slight on the Governor and people.

“We rammed into these touts and I asked them who they were and as they were trying to explain, some of them ran away, to show you that what they are doing is illegal. We can’t allow this to happen in Idemili North from next week, we will not spare anybody involved.

“I have my strike force and we are going to work jointly with the police and other security operatives. They spoil the image of the governor. We don’t know anything about them until now. When I arrest anyone I don’t mind taking him to Awka and hand him over to the appropriate authority,” Igboanua said.

On sanitation Igboanua said that
Compliance was low because there was no media announcement earlier making it difficult to stop movement of vehicles and people.

“We did much desilting at Oyeolisa market, the traders complied but getting bulldozers, tractors, escavators, among others to evacuate the wastes was the problem because we had in mind of using casual labourers.

“We engaged labourers to use the shovels to throw the wastes into the tippers although they were slow but the disilting is a continuous exercise. We directed residents and everyone to bring the wastes outside for evacuation,” said Igboanua.

The INLGA further directed residents to commence desilting of the drainages in front of their buildings, and to also monitor and report the activities of Contract refuse evacuators that supposed to come twice or thrice a week in every street to cart away refuse properly tied in sacks collected from households.

“As rainy season approaches We want every compound to join us by endeavoring to desilt drainages in front of their place of residence, workshops and business premises to enable easy passage of water. This will avoid flooding and damage on the roads. Once that is done our tippers and laborers will be moving round to evacuate them from the roads and streets,” said Igboanua.

” I know we have not got it 100percent but the deputy Governor, Ibezim has plans to achieve 100percent on environmental cleanliness. Even the governor is about employing about 2000 sweepers to help achieve a clean and liveable Anambra State.

Moreso, on increasing the revenue base of the LGA he expressed optimism that it would appreciate very soon.

“We were directed to stop everything about revenue collection until after the election. Again last year January to August revenue had been collected before we came into office. The remaining three months to end of year we could not do much because when you ask for payment of IGR they will present receipts to back up their claim that they have made payment which is done periodically,,” said Igbonua.