Governor Umahi of Ebonyi State has suspended indefinitely his Special Assistant on Transport, Peter Obah, over alleged establishment of an illegal task force and extortion of members of the public.
The suspension was made known to journalists on Wednesday at the Executive Council Chambers, Government House, Abakaliki during a joint briefing by selected members of the Council.
The Senior Special Adviser to the Governor on Internal Security, Kenneth Ugballa, who announced the development, noted that the Governor’s decision was in response to public outcry against the embarrassment of motorists by the illegal task force.
More worrisome, according to Ugballa, was the discovery that the monies extorted from the public were never paid into Government coffers as the task force render account to the Government.
The Governor further directed that Obah should refund to the concerned all monies extorted from them through the illegal task force, while all vehicle plate numbers seized should be returned to their owners even as all such task forces remain disbanded throughout the State.
The Council urged members of the pubic to defend themselves against such extortions and illegal task force and hand them over to the Police as Government has no hand in their operations.
Ugballa explained further: “The Council was notified about the indefinite suspension of the Special Assistant to the Governor on Transport, Mr.Peter Obah, for constituting illegal task force and using the same to cause trouble for the State.
“And there is a public outcry concerning this.
“Members of the public are complaining that most times they park their vehicles just to go and get something and before they know it, their vehicle number plates are being taken away and they will be demanded to pay some money
“And Council was worried because this money in question does not go into Government coffers.
“And the Council directed further that such a task force should not be in existence anywhere in Ebonyi State.”