Abandoned Official Vehicles In Mechanic Workshops Disturbs Governor Otu

By Sylvia Akpan, Government House Correspondent

The Governor of Cross River State, Sen. Bassey Otu, has decried the increasing abandoned government official vehicles by some Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) at various mechanical workshops in the state.

The disturbing trend was contained in a release signed by the Chief Press Secretary and Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Governor Otu, Linus Obogo, dated 7th August, 2025, stating that the conduct constitutes a clear breach of established protocols on asset management and reflects a worrisome disregard for the guiding principles of fiscal responsibility, administrative accountability, and operational efficiency that form the bedrock of the present administration’s governance framework.

MDAs in the state are directed to undertake a comprehensive audit of all official vehicles presently undergoing repairs or parked at mechanic workshops, whether within or outside the territorial jurisdiction of the state.

The inventory according to the Governor is to compiled and submitted to the office of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Asset Management and Recovery within a period not exceeding three (3) weeks from the date of the announcement.

Concerned MDAS are directed to initiate and conclude, without further administrative delay, the requisite processes necessary for the repair and reintegration of the vehicles into the government’s operational fleet.

The state government warned that any official vehicle found to be idle, abandoned, or underutilized without verifiable justification shall be recovered by the Department of Asset Management and Recovery without further recourse and redeployed to MDAs with pressing operational demands.

The release added that the directive is to be accorded the highest level of administrative attention, as any further instances of negligence, inefficiency, or willful dissipation of public resources shall attract appropriate sanctions in line with extant civil service rules and applicable regulatory frameworks.