The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Abia State Council, has raised serious concerns over worsening insecurity in communities and the growing infiltration of criminal elements disguising themselves as tricycle operators, calling for immediate and decisive intervention to safeguard lives and property across the state.
The concerns formed part of a communiqué issued at the end of the Union’s Monthly Congress held on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at the NUJ Press Centre, Plot 66 Aba Road, Umuahia, presided over by the Chairman of the Council, Comrade Chidi Asonye.

In a strongly worded resolution, Congress condemned the alarming activities of suspected criminals operating under the guise of commercial tricycle (“Keke”) riders, describing the development as a dangerous trend threatening public safety, especially for passengers who commute at night.
The Union noted with deep concern that the unchecked activities of these criminal elements have continued to endanger innocent residents and undermine the security architecture of Abia State.
To tackle the growing menace, the Congress called on the Abia State Ministry of Transport to urgently partner with Keke and Okada unions to regulate, identify and profile operators across the state, insisting that proper documentation and monitoring of members would help flush out criminal infiltrators hiding within the transport system.
On the broader issue of insecurity across Nigeria, the journalists stressed the need for grassroots vigilance, urging traditional rulers, Presidents-General and town union leaders of autonomous communities to take proactive measures in safeguarding their domains.

Congress specifically called on community leaders to intensify local surveillance mechanisms and regularly monitor forests, farmlands and vulnerable areas to guarantee the safety of farmers and rural dwellers increasingly exposed to criminal attacks.
The NUJ also appealed to the Abia State Government to go beyond conventional security responses by organizing periodic security summits for traditional rulers and key community stakeholders, aimed at strengthening local intelligence gathering, sensitization and coordinated community-based security efforts.
Furthermore, Congress advocated the recruitment of forest guards to patrol forests and remote communities across the state, with a mandate to identify and flush out criminal hideouts while restoring confidence among residents.
The communiqué, signed by the Communiqué Drafting Committee Chairman, Imeremba Michael Imeremba; Secretary, Ifeanyi Ogbonna; and member, Christy Emezue, alongside the NUJ Abia Council Secretary, Comrade Iyke Onuegbu, mnipr, and Chairman, Comrade Chidi Asonye, emphasized the urgent need for collective action to preserve peace and security in Abia State.
The Union maintained that ensuring security must remain a shared responsibility among government, traditional institutions and citizens, warning that failure to act swiftly could further expose communities to criminal threats.

Abia State Governor, His Excellency, Dr. Alex Otti, OFR, has launched a ₦306 million tech-enabling business grant called NKATA to support businesses across all 17 LGAS of the State.

Speaking while receiving the management team of the Abia State Technology Skills Acquisition Centre, (ATSAC), and unveiling the project, Governor Alex Otti reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to empowering entrepreneurs and creating sustainable economic opportunities for the youths of the State.

Governor Otti reiterated that the initiative was deliberately designed to accommodate different categories of beneficiaries across the State to ensure inclusiveness and wider access to economic opportunities.

The State Chief Executive noted that a total sum of ₦306 million has been earmarked for the beneficiaries, and maintained that they must meet up with the requirements for benefiting from the project and expressed the hope that the intervention would yield positive results.

“I want to congratulate everyone. The ₦306 million is available, but beneficiaries must meet all the necessary conditions.

“In a few months’ time, I want to hear that this intervention has yielded results, not just in monetary terms, but in job creation, poverty reduction, and empowerment of our people,” Governor Otti stated

The Governor said that the programme aligns with his administration’s vision of building a productive, self-reliant and innovation-driven economy, saying that government has gone forth and back on the issue and is now convinced that it would help to support the youths.

He explained that his administration deliberately chose to invest in productive ventures capable of generating long-term economic value, instead of funding mere consumption.

“We have gone forth and back on this, and we are convinced that this is one of the ways to support and help our people,” Governor Otti stated.

“The easiest way to spend money is to give it to people who consume it, but we will receive value when it is invested, and that investment will yield returns. This is our own way of intervening,” Gov. Otti said.

Governor Otti further disclosed that the grant project forms part of broader economic empowerment initiatives of his administration targeted at equipping Abians with relevant skills and support to become self-reliant and employers of labour.

The Governor said that the goal is to support and train Abia people so that they can become self-reliant and employers on their own, and urged them to utilise the opportunity responsibly by expanding their businesses, creating jobs and contributing meaningfully to the economic growth and development of Abia State.

Presenting the project earlier, the Director-General, Abia State Technological Skills Acquisition Centre (ATSAC), Mr Peter Ukonu,
described the programme as a strategic intervention aimed at supporting businesses, reducing poverty and creating employment opportunities across the State.

He explains that the NKATA, which adopts a different structure by deploying support through technology providers, rather than giving cash, was deliberately designed to ensure that technology resources are utilised for business expansion and productivity rather than diverted to other personal expenditures.

“We are not giving cash to businesses directly. We are actually doing so through technology service providers,” Ukonu added.

He said that the programme brings together business technology service providers and mentors to drive digital tools, automation and AI, adding that the goal is to help Abia businesses move from survival to growth, improve productivity, create jobs and build a new generation of technology-enabling businesses.

Mr. Ukonu, who revealed that technology companies, software firms, hardware suppliers and internet providers would participate as service providers, while mentors, including those in the diaspora, would guide businesses in developing viable proposals and matching technological needs with solutions, explained that those eligible for the scheme are all Abia residents, who do business and pay taxes in Abia.

The Chief of Staff to Abia state Governor, Pastor Caleb Ajagba says Governor Alex Otti is intentional about transforming Abia from a production hub into a globally respected manufacturing brand.

Pastor Ajagba stated this shortly  during the flagging-off ceremony of the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Competitiveness and Industrial Productivity Programme (MCIPP) Quality Assurance Assessors (QAA) Training Programme, held at the new main auditorium of Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic Aba.

While reiterating that Governor Otti’s initiative to rebrand and improve the quality of made in Aba products, Pastor Ajagba disclosed that the training of Quality Assurance Assessors represents a bold and deliberate step in the journey to reposition the State, especially Aba, as the hub of excellence in fashion, garment and leather production in the nation and across Africa.

He said that the state government remains committed to creating an enabling environment for enterprise growth through infrastructure development, policy support, access to finance and quality standardisation.

The Chief of Staff appreciated the partners and facilitators of the project, including Ethnocentrique Limited and MasterCard Foundation for their collaboration and technical expertise, and reminded the trainees that the success of the initiative depends largely on their commitment, discipline and integrity in applying what they would learn, while urging MSME operators to embrace the process.

In his speech, the MCIPP Team Lead, Adedapo Conde, while describing the Quality Assurance Assessors Program as a critical component of the MCIPP, designed to strengthen the skills ecosystem and support the transformation of Aba into a globally recognized skills delivery and export hub, explained that the event will also provide an opportunity for the MCIPP Team to engage directly with participants, offering deeper insights into the program and other strategic initiatives of the State Government aimed at supporting the growth and competitiveness of MSMEs.

Mr. Conde lauded Governor Otti for his visionary leadership and support, noting that Ethnocentrique Limited remains fully committed to partnering with the state government to realise its vision of positioning Aba as a globally recognised skills delivery and export hub.

The flag-off ceremony which attracted the presence of the Special Assistant to the Governor on Industry and SMEs, Mrs Chinwe Kalu Uba, Rector, Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, Dr Christopher Okoro, among other notable individuals featured the presentation of CAC and SMEDAN certificates to business owners.