Cross Rivers Speaker urges FG to provide operational vehicles for security agencies

**Says the debt burden Left behind by ex-Gov Ayade has crippled the State

The Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly Rt Hon Elvert Ayambem has urged the Federal Government to take the issue of insecurity seriously by providing operational vehicles for the security agencies.
The Speaker who spoke to newsmen in Abuja on Monday said the Federal Government really needs to equip the military and the police, all of the security agencies with vehicular logistics for better results in their fifth against insecurity and other vices
“You see police stations these days without even an operational vehicle. If the Federal Government looks into it to get operational vehicles for utility for the police and all the security agencies it would go a long way in boosting their confidence to fight crime
“Let me tell you. A robbery that took place some weeks back, because the police had no operational vehicles the culprits escaped before the police could not reach the scene as at when due.
“When my boys caught three kidnappers on the spot, the delay in the response of the police caused two of them to escape.
“Let the Federal Government do something about vehicles for security operatives. I say this with authority, there are no operational vehicles for the security, not only in Cross Rivers State but almost in every State of the Federation.
“Some times the police are forced to use Motobikes, that is where there is outcry of police rifles being snatched. “If they have operational vehicles nobody will have the nerve to snatch them, but with the motorbike they are susceptible. So let the Federal Government do something in that light because the welfare of security operatives are not largely attended to, and yet they are people that are faced with death everyday.
“If their welfare is attended to it would be a moral booster and another thing is the issue is that of fuel for the vehicles.
“Cross Rivers State Government is doing a lot. As I speak the State is at the verge of procuring 50 operational vehicles for the security.
“State government is carrying out massive projects in the barracks, the parade ground. He is also carrying out similar projects in the DSS facility. “That is why I said the government we have now is very responsive. Ordinarily he should see them as Federal Government parastatals what would he be doing with that spending of the state Government money.
“But basically it is a matter of time, he will need their services. Right now we have completed that phase of purchasing 50 operational vehicles to donate to most of the security agencies which will also boost security for our state.
“If you check you hardly hear the issue of kidnapping in Cross Rivers State based on the effort of the governor. If you travel through the sea you will see Navy checkpoints right in the middle of the sea, so those Kidnappers will not have any root to take their victims through. The water ways are safe now.
On the state of the economy of the State, the Speaker pointed out that loans that were acquired by the previous administration has crippled the Government to the extent of placing the legislature on edge.
According to him the loan burden which the present Government is bearing can not be quantified.
“So that is placing the House on edge. Normally, for welfare you see the governor having the zeal to see that the House is taken care of, especially the House that is functioning optimally.
“You will realise that there are some constraints financially. The Governor when money comes in his way, he pays salary, pensions and other things. Sometimes he pays to the extent that the state will not have money.
“We have seen leaders with purposefulness and those that came to loot the state resources
According to him, the Governor doesn’t think he should keep any for himself or for the House of Assembly. “It is always, have the workers been paid, have the pensioners been paid? That gives him joy.
“Since we came we have just the oversight function vehicle the pickup truck. Ordinarily we are supposed to have our official vehicles. Members are entitled to two vehicles but we are still having those oversight function trucks just because we are working in synergy with the government of the day to see how he can achieve his plans for Cross Rivers people that is why we said we should have patient and work with this governor diligently.
“The vehicles will come but please let us allow the governor to do one year. After one year he would have been stabilized to see how monies can be saved that is for members.
“For our welfare the Governor is trying his best. We understand that the Governor is going through a lot because of the loans.
“And yet you hear people saying the years I was a governor I did not take any loan. I will laugh, how can people tell such lies. These things that are in the public glare and you will sit and say you did not take any loan. That is outrageous.
“How I wish the governor came and met a sizeable loan that he can repay. It would have helped us a great deal.”