Governor Alex Otti of Abia State, has tasked the Nigerian Police and other security agencies on maintenance culture, arguing that it is not encouraging to be reckless in handling security vehicles and other equipment donated to them as operational tools.
The Governor gave the advice in Umuahia while hanging over to the Police, five previously abandoned Armoured Personnel Carriers, APCs refurbished by his administration.
Otti in his remark during the handover ceremony at the Government House, said he met those APCs in dilapidated condition and decided to refurbish them instead of allowing them to deteriorate.
He frowned at the care-free mentality of some individuals towards public assets, and called for a change of attitude.
Otti said he decided to refurbish the vehicles because he knew they could still be put into good use instead of allowing them to waste.
Otti said:”When we came in exactly 20 months ago, on the 29th of May 2023, we saw littered here these vehicles in very terrible states of disrepair.
“Being that I know that these vehicles have a long staying power, we took a very principal decision to refurbish one or two of them, by the time we started, we found out that it was not too difficult and therefore I authorized that about six of them be repaired.
“Five of them are ready, while we are still struggling with the last one, five of them have been completely retrofitted and they’re as good as new. It’s all about maintenance and our believe is that never again would
we allow our assets to dilapidate to this state, a lot of things that we throw away can be easily fixed and we have demonstrated it,” Gov. Otti stated.
Empasising the need for all to cultivate maintenance culture, the Governor vowed that never again would public assets be allowed to deteroriate in the state, arguing that doing so amounts to waste of public funds.
He charged those the vehicles would be entrusted to their hands to ensure that the vehicles are judiciously used with regular maintenance.
“So, I will charge the men that would use it to ensure they’re used carefully and anything that needs to be repaired, to be repaired quickly because if you don’t, you will spend two to three times more to repair it and I am glad that we’re here today to return five of them to the police,” Gov. Otti stated.
Commending the Governor for gesture, the Commissioner of Police, Abia State Police Command, CP Danladi Isa, promised to put the security vehicles into good use.
He thanked the Governor for his numerous supports to the Nigerian Police, and promised to reciprocate by ensuring improvement in the security of the state.
The CP restated the commitment of the Police in synergy with other security outfits to ensure safety of lives and property in the state.
