Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu who directed the immediate sealing of the station, decried the incessant obstruction of construction work, physical assault of construction workers and Ministry of Environment officials by the workers of the petrol station.
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Onyebuchi Ememanka, , disclosed that the order shall remain in force until the rehabilitation of Ngwa road is completed and commissioned.
“The ongoing reconstruction work on Ngwa Road and other adjoining roads under the NEWMAP projects and indeed, all projects in Abia State, done with tax payers money are of fundamental importance to the government of Abia State and under no circumstances whatsoever will government stand and watch unscrupulous persons get in the way of such projects.
“The Governor hereby directs the Executive Chairman of Aba South LGA, the Area Commander of the Nigeria Police, Aba and the relevant Divisional Police Officers, the Commander of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Aba and the General Manager of the Traffic and Indiscipline Management Agency of Abia State (TIMAAS) to immediately ensure the full implementation of this directive.”
He threatened the owners of the station that any further disturbance from them against construction workers will attract immediate revocation of the Certificate of Occupancy for the property.
“This shall be done without any further reference to the persons involved. The Governor wishes to reiterate his earlier warning to any person or group of persons, by whatever name called who plans to disrupt the work at Ngwa Road or any other project site in the State, under any guise whatsoever, that the full weight of the State Government will be unleashed on them.”
He further warned that the government shall not tolerate any act of sabotage against efforts put in place in rebuilding infrastructure in the state.