In what appears to be a hastily and poorly considered policy statement, the Edo State governor, Monday Okpebholo, has reversed his decision of free bus services he approved across the three senatorial districts barely three days after making the announcement.
His Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, had in a statement earlier released to journalists in Benin City, the Edo State capital, claimed the governor approved the free bus services for residents as part of his administration’s initiatives to ameliorate their plight in these times.
But in another statement on Wednesday, Itua urged members of the public to disregard the earlier announcement.
According to the governor’s spokesperson, the suspension was occasioned by a briefing received by the governor on the issues surrounding the operation of the state-owned Edo City Transport Service (ECTS), the operators of the free bus services.
The statement reads in part: “The earlier statement announcing the approval of free bus services by the Executive Governor of Edo State, His Excellency, Senator Monday Okpebholo, should be disregarded.
“The governor is being briefed on issues surrounding the operation of the State-owned Edo City Transport Service (ECTS), operators of the free bus services.
“For now, the free bus services have been placed on hold. A new decision by the governor will be communicated to the general public,” the statement read.
