Cross River State Commissioner for Transportation, Pastor Ekpenyong Cobham, has denied accusations making the rounds in certain quarters in
the state that he stormed the State’s Ministry of Works in the company of thugs and carted away official documents belonging to the Ministry.
Cobham refuted the allegations while chatting with LEADERSHIP via telephone in Calabar, the State capital.
He said that there was no way he could have stooped so low to storm his colleague’s office with thugs to commit such an offence, which he knew had criminal implications.
Cobham, who spoke through his Special Assistant, Mr. Joseph Davis Agba, said: “It’s ridiculous to say that I went to the Commissioner for Work’s office with thugs only to cart away documents that were useful to his office.
“The Commissioner for Transportation did not meet with Commissioner for Works or came in contact with him, neither did he have any argument or altercation with Works Commissioner.
“Let it be on record that we didn’t even see each other talkless of shaking hands with each other. This allegation and speculation is absolutely not true and fake.”
He urged the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) to come to terms with the law so that they can work with the Governor Bassey Otu administration, whose vision is to bring succour in the transport sub-sector.
Cobham, however, stated that his Ministry remains in-charge of supervision of Traffic Management Regulatory and Monitoring Agency (TRAMRA), stressing this can be attested to in a letter sent to the Transport Ministry from the State’s Attorney General and Secretary to State Government (SSG).
Reacting to the issue, director, Vehicle Inspection Officer, Chief Engr. Paul Bepeh, denied allegations of disobeying government directives as alleged by the Transportation Ministry, which said his office received letters to that effect from the Attorney General and SSG.
