Emelam Udo, Umuahia.
Abia state government has described as false and spurious rumours making the rounds that it has asked the Northern community at Lokpanta cattle market in Umunneochi Local Government Area to leave the state.
Macdonald Uba (Rtrd Navy Commander), the special Adviser to the Governor on Security matters made this clarification while briefing Journalists at government House Umuahia.
He disclosed that the Lokpanta, Uturu axis of the state had been under siege by criminals for about a year now, prompting the major steps recently taken by the state government to eliminate the spate of kidnappings and other criminal activities in the areas.
Uba hinted that preliminary investigations indicated that Lokpanta cattle market was a major hide out of recent kidnappings and other crimes in the state.
He noted that ransom for kidnap victims along the Uturu-Umunneochi areas were paid in the market ,a situation which made the government to among other measures carry out deliberate actions including demolition of over 160 Shanties including Brothels in the market.
The Security Adviser who described Governor Alex Otti as a detribalized Nigerian having also appointed non Abians in his cabinet noted that most of the cattle dealers in the state are 2nd and 3rd generations of Igbos and therefore the Governor Otti -led government could not have given such directive.
He also noted that most the dealers there were in the and queried the rationale for asking them to leave the state and described the rumour as the handiwork of mischief makers.
He said that the stand of government is that the market would no longer be residential, but rather a daily market, while maintaining that government’s decision to make Lokpanta Cattle market a daily market is in the interest of government and the cattle dealers there.
He pointed out on no account that government would rescind the decision on the ground of mere rumours.
It would be recalled that the Security Adviser to the Governor had on two occasions held meetings with the leadership of the market Unions where he informed them of government’s decision to make the market a daily one for security reasons.
