As part of activities marking democracy day celebration in Cross River State, Governor Bassey Otu, has presented electric vehicles to Permanent Secretaries.
Governor Otu stated that the initiative signified the commencement of a more extensive shift towards clean energy transportation and underscored a renewed dedication to enhancing the state’s public service framework.
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Speaking during the presentation, Otu said the gesture was designed to dignify public service, improve efficiency in governance, and reduce the transportation costs on the senior civil servants.
He said, “one of the main directions and focus of our administration is to build integrity in service, dignify the officials and build their confidence to be productive at the highest level.”
According to him, permanent secretaries were some of the most competent professionals in the country, reiterating that a strong bureaucracy was the engine room of government.
“Cross River State is never lacking in capacity at any point in time. Some of the people we are trying to strengthen are among the best you can think of in the country. Nobody can beat them as far as I am concerned. But, whoever puts in labour also deserves a reward,” Otu averred.
Fluctuations In Petroleum Price
On the switch for electric vehicles (EVs) rather than the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), the Governor explained that the decision was sequel to an assessment of the rising cost of transportation and the vulnerability of citizens to fluctuations in the petroleum sector.
Explaining further, Otu stated that while the administration initially considered Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles, the executive opted for electric vehicles as the more sustainable option, hinting, “we discovered that about 60 percent of our expenses were on transportation. So, we did a comparative analysis before decided to go electric.”
Speaking further, the governor noted the economic and environmental benefits of the initiative, insisting that the beneficiaries would save significantly on transportation and vehicle maintenance costs.
Otu disclosed that the government would be distributing one hundred electric vehicles and one hundred electric tricycles, which would be part of its forthcoming empowerment programme and intervention public transportation to reduce cost.
He further said the EVs to the top civil servants were the first in its series, indicating plans to extend the initiative to other arms of government with the goal to make electric mobility accessible.
He announced that his administration was on the verge of establishing charging infrastructure across the state to support the growing adoption of electric vehicles.
Continuing, he said, “beyond these cars, we are going to begin to set up charging ports, particularly for those that will serve the public. We have gone quite far with the plans and the relevant ministries are already working on them.”
He lauded the Cross River State House of Assembly for supporting the administration’s developmental programmes through legislative backing and budget approvals.
Earlier, the Head of Service, Orok Okon, described the presentation of the vehicles as a historic milestone and a major morale booster for the state civil service.
“Permanent secretaries, who worked for this state in the last ten years were not this fortunate. Today, the jinx has been broken. The first beneficiaries of the latest global technology in electric automobiles are permanent secretaries in Cross River State.,” he added.
