By Ugochukwu Alaribe

ABA—Chairman of Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Aba branch, Sir Chidozie Ogunji, has said  if Governor Okezie Ikpeazu could fulfil his promise of renewal of infrastructure and boost  trade and commerce in Aba to get the city working again, he would discover that resources from Aba could run Abia State effectively without relying on federal allocations.

Okezie Ikpeazu

In a chat with Vanguard in Aba, Ogunji posited that if Aba was fixed, the city had the potentials to generate huge Internally Generated Revenue which would be far in excess of federal allocations, stressing that the governor must plug revenue leakages.

He said: “I think the governor has started on a good note by his efforts to rehabilitate roads and open some of these areas. He can change the face of Aba and make sure that touts are pushed out and ensure that infrastructure is working well and turn Aba into a mega city. Investors will come and businesses will begin to thrive in the city.

‘’Again, the problem of illegal revenue agents and touting should be given a serious attention because most of these revenues they collect end up in private pockets.

He must make haste to block revenue leakages to get funds for development purposes.”

He urged the governor to cut the high cost of government in the state by not recycling some names who have refused to engage themselves in any other work than relying on government as well as scrapping Ministries, Department and Agencies, MDAs, with similar functions.

The NBA chairman also  lamented that the courts had been on strike and called on the governor to ensure  the problems was resolved.

“It is an infringement on the rights of the people to have the courts shut down.  Governor Ikpeazu should do everything within his means to ensure that the courts are opened.”