The Civil Liberties Organization (CLO) Anambra State has appealed to Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo to rescue citizens and residents of the State “from brutality, intimidation, extortion, exploitation, rude and uncivil dispositions of ARTMA (Anambra Road Traffic Management Agency), OCHA (Operation Clean & Healthy Anambra) Brigade, Anambra State Anti-Touting Agency and Emblem Boys in exercising their statutory responsibilities.”
The CLO, which had earlier appealed to Governor Soludo to conducts training and retraining for officers and men of various government agencies in order to “inculcate moral rectitude, respect, discipline, civility and decorum in discharging their constitutional responsibilities,” said it has been receiving “torrents of complaints” by aggrieved persons and citizens on their conducts.
The CLO said the “pathetic and pitiable situation deserve urgent and immediate intervention” of Soludo “to restore normalcy, trust, confidence of the citizens and avert avoidable self help from citizenry.”
CLO State Chairman, Comrade Vincent Ezekwueme, flanked by Secretary Comrade Chidi Mbah, Comrades Vincent Udeh, C.Y Umeh, Umeogbolu, Onyeka Obi and others, told journalists that it decries with great disdain the impunities being perpetrated by some government agents in State, noting that it is scaring traders, visitors, investors away from the State.
Stating that “every government is measured by the actions and behaviours of it’s officials,” CLO recalled “that few months ago citizen Mrs. Nkemakolam Nnamani of 87 Oraifite Street Awada Obosi was brutalized, assaulted, wounded by officials of Anti-Touting Squad at Upper Iweka near TRACAS. It is irrefutable reality that for the past three months, she has been visiting many hospitals. She is now incapacitated as she neither walk nor work.”
CLO’s Comrade Vincent Udeh decried the activities of Anti-Touting, ARTMA, Ocha Brigade in the State, regretting that they have “brought disrepute to government and people of Anambra State.”
He appealed to Governor Soludo “to overhaul the system and injects patriotic, selfless and God fearing citizens in the Agencies for optimal results.”
According to the CLO, “we appeal to Anambra State government and security agents to fish out the perpetrators to face full wrath of the law in other to act as deterrents to others. Similarly, CLO wishes to draw attention of Governor Soludo and Anambra State government to the unbridled obstructions, intimations, exploitation, extortion and threats to lands and properties developers in the State ranging from outrageous demands for unauthorized development levy, youths and elders levies, renovations, tilling, fencing, culverts and drainage constructions levies contrary to the State’s “Prohibition of Fraudulent Practices on Land and Property Law 2012″ that forbids obstructions and exploitation of lands and properties developers in the State.”