Ikpeazu suspends Perm Sec. transport barely a month after sacking commissioner
The governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu, has suspended the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport in the state, Patrick Irokansi.
This is coming barely one month after the sack of the Commissioner for the Ministry of Transport, Ekele Nwaohanmuo, by the governor.
In a statement, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Anthony Agbazuere, directed the suspended Permanent Secretary to hand over to the most senior director in the Ministry without delay.
No reason was given for the governor’s action as was the case with that of the Commissioner.
However, prior to the commissioner’s sacking, the state chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, Eugene Eze Job, had accused him of imposing illegal levies and forced each member of okada units in the state to pay a daily fee of N600 for registration and N500 for road rehabilitation.
‘How can Okada operators be charged N600 daily and another N500 which they said is for road rehabilitation? The Commissioner for Transport collects money to create loading units everywhere. Those who refuse to pay the illegal tolls are assaulted by thugs. This is why the Okada riders are fighting daily. He also imposed non Okada operators and thugs to lead the Okada riders,’ he said.
Denying the allegations, the Permanent Secretqary described Eze Job as a lawless man, who according to him, “refused to obey regulations guiding the transport industry in the State.”
It was not however clear whether it was the fallout of the accusation and counter accusations that have consumed the Commissioner and his Permanent Secretary in the Transport Ministry.
