17th December 2024
By Idris Buba
Chairman of the Government Assets Recovery Committee, Kelly Okungbowa, has issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the last governorship election, Asue Ighodalo and other supporters of the party, who are in possession of the state government vehicles to return them.
Kelly Okungbowa, who was recently appointed by governor Monday Okpebholo, to retrieve government assets, including vehicles still held by private individuals, issued the order on Tuesday.
Okungbowa, revealed that some vehicles belonging to the now-defunct government transport company, Edo Line, were allegedly sold and later discovered in a spare parts market in Benin City, the state capital.
“We want to use this medium to appeal to those people whose names have been mentioned, to please return those vehicles to the authorities, because they are not my property. Those vehicles are the property of the state government, for the Edo people. And we all know the cost of buying one vehicle. To buy a brand new Hilux costs you nothing less than N120 million. Where do they expect the governor to get that kind of money to purchase new vehicles?
READ MORE; Edo Governorpship Election Tribunal Begins Sitting .
“We want to appeal to them, especially the candidate of the PDP, Barrister Asue Ighodalo and his running mate. It is good for us to also advise them as a father and leader in the state, that they should do the right thing by returning those vehicles.
“It may interest you that those vehicles that have recovered- the governor has directed that we should reallocate them to the agencies, and we have done that.
“While we are appealing, the government will also decide on its own. We are not here to witch-hunt anybody. We are doing our job according to the law. It is not that we don’t know where some of them were kept. They took some of the vehicles to Lagos, Abuja, and Abeokuta. But we are appealing to them, and follow due process.”
The committee also listed the names of officials attached to the previous administration who are allegedly still in possession of government vehicles, and advised that such vehicles be returned within 72 hours.
