When you set the ip address on the ME port you must connect to the ME port. This interface is isolated from the main revenue ports so you cannot reach it from any other path.
When ip addresses are configured on any other port they can be reached from any transit port. But the interface has to be physically link up for the address to be active and able to connect to it.
When ip addresses are assigned to virtual ports like the vlan or irb interfaces these will only become link up/up when at least one physical interface in the same vlan is link up on the switch.