Maroc - NOTCHNEWSONLINE.COM.NG - A La Une - 09/Aug 07:42

Public Urination in Onitsha:Arrest Ejike Odife over endemic corruption, extortion

Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has been urged to immediately stop the ongoing extortion and corruption at Upper Iweka in Onitsha by some touts led by Ejike Odife.The Campaign for Democracy ( CD) in South East and Human Rights Liberty Access and Peace Defenders'Foundation (HURIDE) which made the demand during a joint media briefing in Onitsha Thursday, said that the only way to stop the monumental corruption, extortion, intimidation and physical abuse of citizens is the immediate removal of one Ejikeme Odife, the leader of Anti-Urination at Upper Iweka.The. Chairman of CD in the South East and Executive Director, HURIDE who addressed newsmen alongside other. officers of the rights groups said the ongoing cleaning and clearing of refuse in Anambra state are highly commendable and celebrated by Anambra citizens when the governor came up with the policy. But few months into the implementation of the programme by the State government, said Dede Uzor, some few criminal elements have hijacked it.He alleged that it has now become a conduit pipe through which they milk the citizens "through the infamous criminal activities of a group led by one Ejikeme Odife who previously belonged to disbanded Anambra State Traffic Agency (ASTA)".Dede Uzor continued: "This group was very notorious around Upper Iweka, MCC, Ziks Round About, Ochanja, and Bridgehead market". The amount, he said, they always collected from each violator is thirty thousand naira (N30,000) for each person. He said their investigation however revealed that an average of 10 persons were apprehended in a day, bringing it to a total of three million naira (N3m) per a day.Dede Uzor said that Odife who is alleged to be a notorious thug in the State called "NO MERCY" should immediately be arrested to serve as a deterrent to other criminals who would want to engage in such criminal activities in the state.He alleged that the gross criminal activities of Odife posed serious threat to the re-election of Governor Chukwuma Soludo for a second term in office and therefore should be flushed out at Upper Iweka immediately.