As governor, facing shortage of funds and demands to pay minimum wages to all state employees, Ebiye dropped funding for the state-owned newspaper The Pioneer.[2]
In an open meeting in September 1998 he was told that police were extorting money from commercial motorcyclists, and taking them to the police station until they paid up. Ebiye told them to contact him directly through a special complaints phone.[3]
After handing over to civilian rule, he was required to retire, as were all previous military administrators, in June 1999.[4]