ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Erbil’s new governor has vowed to take the “strictest measures” against public officials or figures of influence who illegally encroach on public property in the province to claim and use it as their own.
Encroachment onto streets, alleys and public places by private land or premise owners is an illegal yet common occurrence in Erbil. By putting up barriers or placing speed bumps onto a route, encroachment forbids or complicates motorist and pedestrian movement.
Governor Firsat Sofi took office in September 2019, after the 15-year governorship of predecessor Nawzad Hadi. The current governor has vowed from the outset of his tenure to tackle public resource theft and corruption.
"We are being very tough and have the necessary measures, and I dare say we have completely limited encroachment trend," Sofi said on Tuesday night in an interview with Rudaw.
He called on locals to help authorities locate premises that have encroached on public property. "If they [interview viewers] see any encroachment by anyone, anywhere, just inform us and reach out to us."
"We will also remove barriers and open the blocked roads in front of the institutions and officials' houses. We are taking strong measures," he added.
"I would like to reiterate one thing here, the campaign we have started...will start from high ranking officials, not the poor people," he added. "We will face against those people who are called officials or those people who enjoy political, social or military influences."
A website will soon be launched for Erbil province residents to document encroachment on public land and even file lawsuits against offenders, the governor said.
In both a cause and symptom of the Kurdistan Region’s chronic electricity shortages and dilapidated infrastructure, water and electricity are also siphoned off for use by some who have the means to do so.
Sofi added that a "widespread crackdown campaign on the overstepping of electricity” would also begin.
"We are serious about all stolen electricity being restored," Sofi said.
Last month, he announced a related campaign to crackdown on the noisy, dirty private generators the Region’s households subscribe to use when state electricity supply shuts down.
Many social media users reacting to Sofi’s Tuesday comments via a Rudaw Sorani Facebook post believe confronting high-ranking officials and other powerful figures will prove to be an uphill struggle for the governor.
"If he [the governor] is true to his words, I will be showing him two alleys in the Havalan area, where each alley has six concrete speed bumps in front of an official's house. Let them come and remove them," wrote Facebook user Dlovan D Muhamad. "They only target the poor."
"I can show you places no one dares set foot in," Khalil Ziyarati wrote in response to the Rudaw Sorani post.
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