Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has officially inaugurated a special committee charged with the important task of recovering government-owned vehicles that are currently in the possession of private individuals. The committee was established on Thursday in Benin, the state’s capital, and has been given a two-week deadline to complete its mission.
The newly-formed 12-member committee will be led by Kelly Okungbowa, with Victor Edoror, a former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly (EDHA), serving as Vice Chairman. Governor Okpebholo tasked the committee with ensuring the full recovery of all government vehicles that have been wrongfully retained by private individuals, directing that they be promptly returned to the state government.
During the inauguration, Okungbowa, the committee chair, highlighted a significant issue: numerous vehicles previously used by the administration of former Governor Godwin Obaseki are still in the hands of private persons, who have refused to return them. Okungbowa expressed gratitude to the Governor for entrusting the committee with this crucial responsibility and pledged to accomplish the task within the allocated time frame.
“There are a significant number of vehicles from the past administration that are unaccounted for. The individuals who are holding onto them have refused to return them, and the Governor has seen fit to assign this task to us today to recover all government vehicles in private possession,” Okungbowa explained.
The chairman further emphasized that the committee is composed of representatives from all three Senatorial Districts of Edo State, ensuring a broad reach across the region. He reassured the public that the committee would approach the recovery process in full compliance with the law, ensuring fairness and transparency in their efforts.
“We encourage members of the public who may have information about individuals still in possession of government vehicles to come forward and report it to us. This will help us in recovering these vehicles and returning them to the state government,” Okungbowa appealed.
As of now, the committee has already received some vital leads about individuals still holding onto government property. Okungbowa reiterated that the team would be working diligently to retrieve all vehicles within the next two weeks, making it clear that their efforts would be conducted lawfully.
“We are committed to performing this task effectively, and we believe that both the state government and the people of Edo will be satisfied with the outcome,” he added.
Residents who may have information about the missing vehicles can reach out to the committee directly at the phone number 08110165121.
