Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has said that the closing of the Renewed Hope Agenda office on Ojike Street in Umuahia is not a political move, even though certain members of the opposition have gotten it wrong.
The governor said that the Harmonised Task Force of the state sealed the property as part of “a blanket enforcement of court orders,” according to Vanguard.
Governor Otti announced through his Chief Press Secretary, Ukoha Ukoha, that he had ordered the property to be unsealed after Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu of the House of Representatives brought the issue to his attention.
“The unsealing was done right away while the building’s paperwork was being fixed,” Otti said.
He warned against reading political agendas into what the harmonized taskforce does, stating that the move has no political overtones.
“This enforcement was not politically motivated; rather, it was part of a general exercise targeting properties in default of statutory obligations,” the statement read.
The notification indicated that the property was sealed because “Ground Rent has been owed since 1982, and the lease ends on December 31, 2025.”
It also alleged that the owner of the property did not reply to demand papers asking for proof that they were paying ground rent and other relevant fees.
The statement claimed that a court order was secured for the sealing after proof of serving of demand notices was shown.
It went on to say, “The enforcement exercise, which started in August 2025, focused on 83 properties in Umuahia and 91 in Aba.”
The statement says that a lot of the property owners who were affected have already followed the court directives.
It argued that “churches, hospitals, and schools are not allowed to seal because of the social services they provide.”
The statement highlighted examples of response steps taken in some situations to include the unsealing of property belonging to the Sam Mbakwe family; the unsealing of a radio station; and the unsealing of a property in use by a government entity.
The statement continued, “The Harmonised Task Force has been given strict orders to make sure that enforcement is carried out without fail.”
“However, the opening of 36 Ojike Lane shows that the administration is paying attention to new problems. The statement ended with, “While enforcement remains uncompromised, sensitive matters will receive greater oversight to ensure fairness and political balance.”
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