Abia State Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) state congress has called on the state government to prevail on security operatives in the state to stop the harassment, intimidation and extortion of citizens, particularly at checkpoints.
Congress noted particularly that the checkpoints in front of Police headquarters and the MOPOL Base Junction, both on Bende Road, Umuahia, have become notorious for extortion and harassment of motorists.
While appealing to the state government to continue to strive to clear the arrears of salaries owed pensioners and staff of the Hospital Management Board (HMB), Congress urged the government to find a lasting solution to incessant robbery attacks/ kidnapping in World Bank Housing Estate (WBHE), Umuahia. Residents of WBHE could hardly sleep now with their two eyes closed.
It further noted the state governor’s efforts towards tackling resurging kidnapping for ransom in the state and urged that the state government should throw in everything in its arsenal to curb the trend for the state to continue to maintain its record of tranquillity.
“Congress also calls for a grassroots approach to eradicating kidnapping and other forms of criminality through the formation of government-sanctioned vigilantes at the village level that should be charged with combing the forests to fish out foreign elements in such places with traditional rulers and other levels of community leadership taking charge of the recruitment process of the personnel of such vigilante groups in their locality.
Congress further used the opportunity to appeal to proprietors of private media houses to ensure the welfare of their staff through regular payment of salaries and urged journalists in the state to be alive to their responsibilities as “societal watchdog and agenda setters” and to shun partisanship electioneering as 2023 general elections gather momentum.
When contacted on the checkpoint issue at the state command, the Police Public Relations Officer, Geoffrey Ogbonna said “we cannot dismantle it. We will do the needful.”
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