GOVERNOR of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, has placed a ban on any form of political rally in all public schools and markets across the state with effect from 1st November 2022. He also banned commercial motorcyclists from operating between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. in order to check insecurity in the state. The governor announced the ban in Abakaliki on Monday during a stakeholders’ summit on citizens input and consultations for the 2023 budget estimates.
According to the governor, all political rallies including that of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) must get approval from the Commissioner for Education. Umahi also announced that he will increase the number of men of Ebubeagu security operatives in Ebonyi State. He said the decision was taken in a bid to secure lives and properties as criminals use bikes to perpetrate their nefarious activities.
He said: “Let me make it clear that from November 1, before any political rally can hold in primary and secondary schools, political parties must get approval from the Ministry of Education. No political campaign must hold in any public school and this is our position. We do not want situations where facilities in our schools are destroyed in the name of campaign. We don’t want people to go there and begin to defecate around school premises. We want to checkmate destruction in our schools and preserve facilities there.