Abia Begins Recovery Of Govt Properties From Individuals
The government of Abia State on Thursday began the recovery of all government properties left in the hands of certain powerful individuals in Aba, the commercial hub of the state.
The Abia State government through the Greater Aba Development Authority (GADA) recovered two government properties situated at 40A /40B, Ekenna Street, GRA, and another one at Onyeador Street, off Aba-Ikot Ekpene Highway.
Explaining the situation to journalists, the General Manager of the Greater Aba Development Authority (GADA), Mr Uche Ukeje said that it is the responsibility of every government to ensure that the fidelity of the state asset is protected.
He added that it is equally the responsibility of every government to make sure that assets belonging to the state do not find their way to private hands, especially through processes that are not transparent.
According to him, the property at GRA belongs to Abia State Government as it used to be the property of Aba Textile Mills and Assets that was recovered by the past administration from those making use of it, but was later taken by an individual closer to the past government.
In his words, “During the past administration, they recovered it from Church Gate Holdings that was part of Abia State Government partners in Abia Textile Mills and handed it over to the advertisement agency that belongs to the State.
“We discovered that part of the process of looking at what has happened in the near past within the State Government, that the former consultant to Abia State Signage and Advertisement Agency (ABSAA) who was also the past commissioner for Transport, had through a C of O, dated 29th of April, 2023, after the elections were over and winner declared, converted a public asset to his private property.
“As part of the review process that is not political, the process of recovering public Assets that have been transferred to private ownership has commenced in the State and as the days and weeks go by, more of such actions will be taken.”
Speaking on the property at Onyeador, Ukeje said that those who have lived in Aba long enough know that property at Onyeador used to be the property of the state Veterinary Medicine.
“The state needs it for the National Industrial Court that will sited there and we hope that it will be put to public use, instead of transferred to private ownership.”
Ukeje explained that the ongoing recovery is part of the sanitisation process and this is just the beginning, stressing that GADA will continue to discover such assets and recover them for the use of the public as it is meant to be.
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