Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has clarified the circumstances surrounding the sealing of the Renewed Hope Agenda office located on Ojike Street in Umuahia, the state capital.
In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Ukoha Ukoha, the governor explained that the move was not driven by political interests, despite claims being circulated by the opposition. Otti noted that the Harmonised Task Force carried out the closure as part of a wider enforcement of existing court directives.
He said he later instructed that the building be reopened after the issue was brought to his attention by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu.
According to him, the operation had no political colouring, cautioning against assigning false motives to the task force’s routine enforcement activities.
“The unsealing was promptly executed pending the regularisation of the building’s documentation.
“This enforcement was not politically motivated; rather, it was part of a general exercise targeting properties in default of statutory obligations,” the statement said.
The statement further noted that the property owner had failed to respond to notices demanding evidence of payment of ground rent and other required levies.
