EXERPTS FROM MY SPEECH ON THE RECENT GOVERNMENT DIRECTIVE REGARDING TINTED VEHICLES AND ONES WITHOUT PLATE NUMBERS, ON SUNDAY, MARCH 11, 2024.
1. I am delighted to speak to you, even though it is quite unusual on a Sunday morning. But this is because a lot of things happened in the previous week and consequently, the Government made a proclamation. I sincerely apologize because proper consultation was not made, but we had to act, given the nature of what happened. The instruction or directive of the Government is for the benefit of all.
2. You may recall that earlier in January this year, at Ebya Bridge, a security checkpoint was attacked and we lost four police officers. The day before yesterday, on the 8th day of March 2024, another unfortunate incident happened in the same area and four police officers killed two women, around 5 am.
3. When I interacted with some of the law enforcement agencies, they categorically informed me, that those people came with tinted glass vehicles – one Lexus 350 and Sienna and these vehicles had no plate numbers. The criminals overpowered them because they were well-equipped. The police officers were taken unawares. Since we are the Government, and we have this responsibility to protect lives and properties, whatever immediate actions we need to take to salvage what we have seen, we will do it.
4. Sometimes I do ask questions about the essence of tinted vehicles. When I was Speaker, I did not see any reason why I should tint my vehicles. I directed all my drivers to remove them because I did not like it. I subscribed for people to vote for me and they voted, so why should I hide myself from them? As Speaker, I was authorized by Law to go with a tinted vehicle, but I did not see any reason for that, and no one ever attacked me. Throughout my time as Speaker, I used my car ‘un-tinted’ because I was supposed to stop and greet people, or at least wave a hand and my people appreciated it. This is the responsibility I carry as a Leader.
5. However, these incidents are happening because some of our Government officials are not active. And people are seeing that the leader of the Government is lazy because no one is receiving credible intelligence. I am not happy about that. I have given marching orders to the three Local Government Chairmen, Coordinators and Special Assistants to the Governor on Internal Security of those Local Government Areas. We will apprehend the hoodlums and they will face the full wrath of the Law.
6. People have been very patient. The electorates have been very patient. We are slow. To all the Government officials, this is the time for action. We have nothing disturbing us from doing the right thing. If the Governor’s memo gets to your office and stays more than a day, the next day, I will relieve you of your duty. Because I will not be going to the office every day, sometimes working from morning till night, discharging the people’s mandate, then you that is appointed – who is not receiving the same pressure as myself, will allow the document of the Governor to stay in your office for a month, two months. I will never take that again.
7. On that premise, we have stopped all travelling, except the Governor and Deputy Governor. There will be no other travelling from the State purse for the next six months because we must sit down to work. And even, since I became Governor, I have only travelled out of the country once and I am not ready to do that again soon, because those who elected me are here suffering. What am I going to do in America? A lot of people say when you travel, you meet core investors who will develop our State. I say those investors will come to Ebonyi if we give them the enabling environment. So, for those Commissioners who want to be flying to Abuja every week, I am sorry about that.
8. I thank you very much.
- #FON
