Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has explained the rationale behind the sealing of the Renewed Hope Agenda office on Ojike Street, Umuahia, insisting the action stemmed purely from a compliance exercise and not from political calculations.
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Ukoha Ukoha, the governor disclosed that the Harmonised Task Force acted on existing court orders during a blanket enforcement drive aimed at properties that had failed to meet statutory requirements. He said the owner of the building did not respond to multiple demand notices requesting proof of payment for ground rent and related charges.
Otti noted that the decision had been misinterpreted in some political circles, prompting him to order the immediate unsealing of the property after the matter was brought to his attention by Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu.
He emphasised that no partisan interest was involved, cautioning against attempts to read political meaning into a routine regulatory exercise.
“The unsealing was promptly executed pending the regularisation of the building’s documentation,” the statement read. “This enforcement was not politically motivated; rather, it was part of a general exercise targeting properties in default of statutory obligations.”
