By Suleiman Anyalewechi, Aba
Traders in Aba the commercial hub of Abia State has called on all well-meaning Abians and residents of the state to pray fervently for God’s protection, guidance and success of the Governor Alex Otti led administration, as it marches towards the restoration of the lost glory of the state.
This is even as the Chairman of all Chairmen of Markets in Aba, Chief Alphonsus Udeigbo has appealed to the traders to always honour their civic obligations to the government of the day, so as to enable it serve the people better.
The traders who made the appeal in Aba on Thursday August 24, 2023 during a one-day special prayer organized by the Eziukwu Road Traders noted that God’s intervention and protection are needed by the Otti’s regime going by the enormity of the decay in the system.
Speaking at the occasion with the theme “I will heal you and the land” the officiating minister of God Apostle Sam Okwuchi noted that God’s guidance and protection are the cardinal factors in achieving success both in public and private endeavours.
Apostle Okwuchi, who is the General Overseer of Souls Saviour Ministry Aba, said that with God’s protection and direction the present regime in Abia State will surely succeed in its set task of taking Abia to the next level.
The minister of God also enjoined the traders to always conduct their personal and business activities with the fear of God, adding that most of the setbacks which most people encounter is as a result of resort to ungodly practices.
“While I am appealing and praying to God that he should use the occasion of this prayer session to set captives free, I also call on those who are here to take the first step in liberating themselves by shunning all satanic acts in the conduct of their activities, whether public and or private,” Apostle Okwuchi stated.
Chief Udeigbo who is also the chairman of the Eziukwu Road Market stated that the Gov Otti led current administration has streamlined all collectible taxes/ rents and their collection systems in a bid to block leakages that characterized the exercises in the past few years.
According to him all revenues accruing to the state government will now be paid into a Treasury Single Account, TSA.
He appealed to the traders to assist the government in its efforts to change the narratives in the state by paying their taxes/rents regularly.
“No government anywhere in the world will be able to meet its responsibilities to the citizenry without the people first meeting their civic obligations.
The ongoing reconstruction of Eziukwu road is part of what government do with the taxes you pay. Even though the road is yet to be fully operational, most of the business concerns that closed their operations because of the inaccessibility of the road in the past few years have started returning.
The positive impacts are already being felt by our traders in terms of more volume of business transactions. If we can pay our taxes, this road and others ongoing in Aba and other areas of the state, and other infrastructural facilities will be put place and the economy of Abia will be boosted” Chief Udeigbo noted.
While reassuring of the commitment of his interim management team in improving the state of Eziukwu Road Market, Chief Udeigbo promised that Aba traders will partner with the Gov Otti regime in moving Abia forward.
