John Okiyi Kalu, a former Commissioner for Trade and Investment in Abia State, has said the former Governor of the State, Okezie Ikpeazu did not use bulletproof cars throughout his eight years as Governor, despite insecurity challenges in the South East.
He said, rather, the former Governor preferred riding in Innoson branded cars, Lexus Jeep and Toyota Sequoia.
The disclosure was made in a 13-point response to a previous article written by the former Head of Alex Otti’s transition committee, Rev Fr. Christian Anokwuru Uche, where the priest said Otti’s transition committee members did not receive cooperation from the Ikpeazu team.
Okiyi noted that the Ikpeazu was prudent with the management of Abia State resources, which according to him, made the former Governor opt for less expensive cars even in the face of a risky security environment in the South East.
“Permit me to place on public record that through the 8-year tenure of Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, he never procured or rode in a bullet-proof car paid by Abia taxpayers’ money.
” He never indulged himself in such needless flamboyance at the expense of the people.
” Indeed, his most regular official vehicles were Innoson branded Jeep, Toyota Sequoia car rumoured to have been bought as a second-hand and a Lexus Jeep.”
Okiyi who served as a member of the Ikpeazu handover committee claimed that Ikpeazu’s administration properly handed over working documents of government to a representative of Governor Otti, Pastor Caleb Ajagba in the morning of May 29, 2023, and wondered why the former government is being accused of being hostile to Otti’s take over of power.
He added that the Ikpeazu transition committee handed over a brand new Lexus Jeep and a Hilux van for Otti and his Deputy but claimed that the cars were rejected by the Otti transition team.
Okiyi advised the new administration in Abia to concentrate on governance and shun ‘propaganda’.
Fr. Anokwuru in the 20-point article, lamented that members of the transition committee set up by the former Governor did not give the Otti’s transition committee members the enabling cooperation but allegedly treated them with arrogance.
