By Okechukwu Onuegbu
Anambra State Police Command and her partners, Tuesday, intensified efforts towards freeing Awka, the capital city of traffic gridlock using massive sensitisation campaign on it impacts.
The Divisional Police Officer, Central Police Station (CPS) Awka, Mr Vena Leelea, who led the campaign in partnership with Awka Capital Territory Development Authority (ACTDA), at Aroma junction of Enugu-Onitsha Expressway, warned triycle and bus drivers against blockage of roads.
Leelea, who reminded motorists that Aroma-Awka houses many federal, State and private institutions, including the three arms of State government as well as provides the major link road to Enugu, Imo and Delta States, added that it should be given adequate attention it deserves to remain liveable.
According to him, governor Chukwuma Soludo was not happy with the activities of the drivers who obstructs traffics at Aroma junction and has directed the sensitisation campaign before enforcement.
He said that Aroma is the three arm zone of the state and must be kept neat and decent, noting that anything short of sanity will attract sanction.
“We are talking to you now at your various parks to do the right thing before it becomes a fight between the drivers and police. We want to have a decent and serene environment in Awka as the state capital. This is a three arm zone of the state and it habours all the three arms of the government,the Executive, House of Assembly and the Judiciary, even the Federal and State Secretraits.
" Infact Awka is a transit city to many states in the country. We want sanity and we want you to help us to maintain the sanity the state deserved. Now we are begging you to do the right and no body should blame us when we start enforcement. Let us now do the right things and move the state forward” he noted.
Also speaking, the Managing Director of ACTDA, Hon. Ossy Ọnuko, represented by the Deputy Commander, Sir Ukachukwu Okonkwo, explained that the agency was in support of the exercise because they were committed towards maintaining sanity and decency in the state capital.
Ọnuko, however, regretted that the agency discovered that most of the drivers who block roads are the bad boys who are not even genuine drivers, hence they would be having special enforcement sqaud to be stationed at Aroma all round to man the activities of hawkers, beggars and drivers creating problems in the city.
The ACTDA MD said that , that they knew those drivers who block roads and they are moving against them to ensure sanity in the state capital.
“We are going to expand our work ,we are now going to work into late hours . We will go after the traders on the roads and under Bridges ,those drivers blocking roads and even the beggars. This is three arm zone of the state,we cannot tolerate this madness any more” he warned.
Contributing, an Activist and co-ordinator of Keke drivers in Anambra State, Comrade Osita Obi commended the police and ACTDA for taking up the challenges of securing the state capital for good, noting that Aroma-Awka was a peculiar place that needs special attention.
He said that Aroma need to be properly guarded to be orderly and decent.
He however said that those creating problems at Aroma are not the drivers but group of cultists in the Awka.
He called on the police to take Special note of these boys who are bent on creating problems around Aroma.
Obi said that these boys don’t go into park but prefer to load on the roads therefore obstructing traffic and free movement.
He pleaded with the DPO to take Special note of these menace and mobilize his men adequately to tackle them.
“We don’t want anybody dead,we want Awka to be clean decent and calm. I got a report this morning that these boys came to park to force the drivers to pay money.