Edo state governor dissolves traffic agency

Governor

According to PM News, this is due to harassment and extortion complaints.

Oshiomhole made this announcement during an unscheduled visit to the State Ministry of Transport, where he aired his grievances.

“I have received a lot of complaints from members of the public. Even some of our Commissioners have observed a lot of extortion going on. All of these young men and women just go and put on T-shirts, unauthorized, unemployed. They just take over some strategic streets and extort money from members of the public. Whether you are guilty or not guilty, they take you to this place, issue fake receipts, and we have seen a number of the fake receipts. One was shown to us this morning, and we find a similar example here now.

So, I want to once again publicly announce that these men called EDSTMA, have since been disbanded. They have no business on the roads. Henceforth, anybody they harass, the person should report them to the nearest police station. We are going to set up a monitoring squad, made up of policemen, both plain clothes and uniformed policemen to arrest anyone that decides to turn our high way to extortion point. Anyone that harasses motorists in the state will be sent to prison,” he declared. ‎

He urged people to stop paying fines, taxes, e.t.c, adding that members of the newly disbanded agency will be arrested and sent to prison.

“If taxes are to be paid, taxes are to be paid to the banks, not cash to anybody. All those cash they have been collecting are illegal, and they are going into individual pockets. We want to manage Edo traffic, but not to subject people to untold hardship and dehumanizing tactics. Government cannot use thugs to enforce laws. Laws must be enforced by law enforcement agents.

Let me use this medium to advise road users. Nobody should part with one naira, whether it is called fine, it is called levy, it is called tax, or by whatever name called. No cash transaction is permitted by Edo State Government. We want the roads to be free, but we don’t want them to be taken over by thugs. This government will not accept thuggery.

So, anybody, from now on who calls himself EDSTMA official, we will arrest, prosecute and send to Oko prison. So, I have warned everybody. So, all of you wearing this EDSTMA uniform, go in now and remove them. If you don’t remove them, any of you found with them will be dealt with,” he warned.

The governor also released over sixty illegally impounded vehicles.