The Anambra State Joint Enforcement Team, ANJET, has refuted claims of derailment from its primary assignments by a citizen, Ifeanyi Ikeanyi.
Clearing the air, ANJET, in a statement signed by Juventus Chukwunweike Okoli, State Media Director, said, “The claim that the Anambra State Joint Enforcement Team, ANJET, has derailed from its key mandates by Ifeanyi Ikeanyi is a subject for Ndi Anambra to confirm or negate. Despite indications that the writer is a faceless hatchet writer on paid assignment to malign and impugn ANJET and its leadership, we consider it pertinent to put up a response”.
“For clarity purposes, it is necessary that ANJET addresses some of the issues raised in the said piece. And to these we state as follows:
1. That aware of its key mandates to restore security, law and order by clearing touts off our roads and in all Anambra markets and to service the enforcement needs of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government in their efforts to generate revenue for the state and as well work with ARTMA, Ocha Brigade and ASWAMA in the decongestion of Anambra roads and clearing our markets and other public places of touts, wastes and unauthorized merchants, ANJET has already started putting in place the necessary machineries through which these goals will be achieved.
2. Being a child of necessity, and born just about one or two months ago, it became imperative that people be assembled to kickstart the establishment and in that process those who indicated interest were given the opportunity to come on board. This is in tandem with the philosophy of Mr. Governor that all Anambra citizens irrespective of towns, class or creed be allowed equal opportunities in the scheme of things in the state.
3. These past two months have been more of trial period which saw the constitution of the membership of the outfit, appointments of persons into key positions of the outfit to steer its activities and test-run the entire setting.
4. This period under discussion has given the ANJET State Coordinator, the respected AVM Ben Chiobi, mni rtd, opportunity of understudying the entire setting and also coming in contact with the ANJET personnel which now made him have some kind of personal knowledge of both the persons and the activities of the establishment. This trial period has also given the AVM the opportunity to get feedbacks from some of the good spirited Ndi Anambra on the activities of ANJET, hence one of the reasons he gives ANJET’s hotlines – 08156352767 and 09017280990 – to Ndi Anambra and other residents in the state wherever he goes. Mr. Governor’s choice of the retired two star general of the Nigerian Airforce is a decision which posterity will remember Prof. Soludo for. For sure, the AVM is one of Anambra’s bests that can beat his chest and deliver on this noble project without cutting corners and without selfish interests.
“Ndi Anambra are advised to patiently follow ANJET as the young outfit continues to evolve and to work according to its terms of operations; let Ndi Anambra bear in mind that ANJET will deliver on its assigned responsibilities under the watch of the retired Air Vice Marshall – AVM.”
5. While most of the reports from Ndi Anambra on ANJET are positive, some, like Ifeanyi Ikeanyi’s, are negative. However, it is on record that ANJET has shown capacity in its services to the state as touting activities and illegal collection of revenues from the transport workers and traders in the state are gradually dropping. Recall that the outfit has arraigned some of the touts arrested within this period in the Magistrate Court 3, Awka and out of 15 persons arraigned, 8 were granted bail by His Worship C. Nonyelum having perfected their bail conditions while the remaining 7 were remanded in Amawbia Correctional Center till today. The case was today again heard as it was adjourned to 27th of October, 2022 being today.
“It has equally shown greater sense of team work as it jointly worked and continues to work with ARTMA to decongest Anambra roads here in Awka, Onitsha, Nnewi, Amansea, and their environs; and again with ASWAMA and Ocha Brigade on the enforcement of the monthly sanitation exercises and other areas. Residents as well as visitors of the state capital city, Awka will bear witness that the Aroma Junctions, Unizik Temp. Site, Eke Awka Market, Kwata Junction are no longer blocked by motorists and other road users as ANJET in collaboration with ARTMA, has changed the narratives. This feat has also been registered in some other cities of the state, Onitsha, Nnewi, Ekwulobia and others to be precise.”
“ANJET has not only rendered help but also strongly stood behind Anambra State Internally Generated Services, AIRS, in her conducts of enrollment cum enumeration of the drivers and traders in Anambra State for the purpose of revenue generation and most importantly for security reasons.”
“The effects of these team jobs are positively felt by the state as the targeted growth of Anambra IGR is gradually being realised.”
6. The few negative reports dealing with abuses of work as Ifeanyi Ikeanyi’s have been investigated. ANJET wishes to categorically inform Ndi Anambra that while few of these reports were discovered to be factual, many more were fabricated cases meant to smear the good image of ANJET before the state authorities and Ndi Anambra by some enemies of the state who wish to drag the state back to the status quo – where the IGR windows will again be thrown open to them, their proxies and sponsors to the detriment of the state and the citizenry. This explains in totality the reason behind some sponsored articles and opinion writings, demonstrations, reports and physical actions against the personnel and activities of the young Establishment with a view of giving a dog a bad name in order to kill it.
7. At this juncture, we also seek to inform the law abiding and peace loving people of Anambra State that after carefully examining the issues, the ANJET State Coordinator, AVM Ben Chiobi, mni, rtd, has fully meted out disciplinary actions against the officers who were found wanting. He has also taken another bold step to direct those who were wrongly accused by some reporters to also step aside so that the outfit will, in the course of time, further investigate the allegations brought against them. Some team heads were dropped and new ones appointed, while some Local Government Area Liaison Officers were queried.
“Members of the public are by this release requested to report any impostor seen with any T-Shirt bearing Anambra State Joint Enforcement Team, ANJET, to the nearest security operatives and/or call ANJET’s hotlines – 08156352767 and 09017280990 – as ANJET staff are only allowed for now to work with their official ANJET Jackets with chest numbers and their valid ID cards. The outfit also demands that those who illegally printed such T-Shirts should submit them to the office immediately.”
8. Keeping the record straight: investigations revealed that, with the exception of the Head Bridge and Ogbo Abada holding bay which are jointly managed by ANJET and ARTMA, all other parks or holding bays which the writer maliciously ascribed to ANJET have nothing to do with the Establishment – not the Upper Iweka Garden or the said holding bay at People’s Club, Onitsha; neither the Nitel Compound nor the Asaba park; not the Tarzan Junction, Nkpor or the Oyeolisa Ogbunike parks.
“Conclusively, ANJET promises to work for the good of Anambra State, her people and other residents.The establishment has no illegal collection of revenue points anywhere in the state and has no intention of doing so. It has also never mandated any of its personnel to do so; those who try such must be prosecuted, at the court of competent jurisdiction. Officers of ANJET have never officially worked, nor do they intend to work with any “Cooperate Agboros or criminals” as Ifeanyi Ikeanyi claimed. Ndi Anambra are urged to report any of such moves by any ANJET personnel to the outfit through its hotlines and/or come to the office of the State Coordinator to register such complaint.
The vision of ANJET is clear! Ndi Anambra will, in a very short time, begin to maximally enjoy the benefits of the outfit’s charge to reduce impunities to the barest minimum.”