Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has approved the compulsory retirement of Mr. Augustine Ebareko Akhuamhekhun, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Public Utilities from Edo State Civil Service.
Oshiomhole
In a letter signed by the Secretary to State Government, Prof Julius Ihonvbere, dated February 19, 2016, the retirement is with immediate effect.
Also, the Governor has approved the termination of the appointment of CP Austin Evbakhavbokun (rtd) as Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Edo State Traffic Management Agency (EDSTMA), with immediate effect.
The government directs the former Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Public Utilities to hand over any government property in his possession to the most senior Director in the Ministry, while the former Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Edo State Traffic Management Agency is to hand over any government property in his possession to the most senior official in the Agency not later than Monday, February 22, 2016.
It could be recalled that the governor publicly denied the knowledge of the existence of EDSTMA last week, claiming they have been disbanded.
He accused them of extorting money from the general public with a fake receipt, a statement that attracted attacks from those who are privy to the situation, accusing the governor of lying about his ignorance of the Union.
Oshiomhole who stormed out of the meeting, according to NAIJA CENTER NEWS earlier report, headed for the Ministry where he ordered the arrest of four officers on duty.
While addressing the press, Oshiomhole said “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.”
” officials were not employed, constituted and empowered by the government.
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PDP said Oshiomhole employed the officials to harass, intimidate and collect levies and fines from the hapless Edo road users.
The party stated this on Friday in Edo State in a communique issued by Publicity Secretary, Chris Osa Nehikhare.
Countering the alleged, Nehikhare said “Your Excellency, with all due respect, you lied! Comrade governor you lied when you said the EDSTMA officials were not employed, constituted and empowered by your government to harass, intimidate and collect levies and fines from the hapless Edo road users.
“You lied when you said the officials were fake.
“You lied when you said “these men called EDSTMA have since been disbanded”.
“Your excellency, we are used to your rhetoric but this one tops all. Edo people remember when you reconstituted EDSTMA two months ago. We remember when you contracted traffic management to Rev. Ojo Patrick (King’s Square) (Ikpoba Hill area) Mr. Alile Osaretin, Mr. Monday Ogiegor (Aduwawa axis) (Siloko Zone) Mr. Ephraim Odobo, (UgbowoZone) Mr. Israel Osato, Ogbemudia Ben and JohnBull Edenazogie, (Sapele Road) Eke Elvis.
We are aware that Mr. Austine Evbakhavbokun, Commissioner of police retired was appointed by you as the chief executive of EDSTMA.
“Your excellency, Please stop taking Edo people for a ride, you want us to believe that you and your officials were not aware that EDSTMA had their offices scattered all over the city. This included the compound of the State Ministry of Works Sapele road which was their operational headquarters. Is it not therefore embarrassing and a sign of gross incompetence that the Governor and government officials claim that they were not operating on behalf of the Government.? We are however not surprised as you did a similar thing to Major Oloye rtd not too long ago. You humiliated and handcuffed him even when he was doing a job for which he had your express authority. Just like you did on Wednesday, you denied him.
“However, in line with your denial, we would like you to confirm the agencies under your employ as we wish to also advice edo people to disregard the identity cards and office addresses flashed by people who claim to be working for you. Special attention must be paid to some persons who occupy a government building along new Lagos road, near New Benin market who do a similar job like your recently denied EDSTMA. They impose taxes on people without due regards to their income and terrorize traders, market women and business owners who dare to do business in Edo State, Benin City in particular. Please confirm if these shylocks are under your employ.
“We demand that the whole saga be investigated. We need to know the source of their uniforms, identity cards, bank details of the organisation and those who benefited from the fraud. We are aware that some victims made payments to banks. You cannot use your APC broom to sweep this under the carpet.
“Comrade Governor, you are advised to change your ways!”
Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State yesterday swam on the Ministry of Transport along Sapele Road which houses the Edo State Traffic Management Authority, EDSTMA and arrested four of the persons on duty. They are currently being detailed at the Police Headquarters, Benin City. The governor was said to have stormed out the the state’s Executive Council meeting in rage and headed for the agency office at about 3 pm.
Governor Oshiomhole
Speaking during an unscheduled visit to the premises of the State Ministry of Transport, the Governor Oshiomhole said: “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 said: “So, I want to again appeal to members of the public not to part with money to anybody. Nobody is authorized to collect one naira from anybody. 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.
“So, anybody wearing EDSTMA uniform by whatever ID cards they have, all of them are fake, because none of them has appointment letters. All those I have seen, I have asked them, ‘where are your appointment letters?’ And they said, ‘I don’t have’. Even the few with IDs, they are the old ID cards of people we have disbanded. So, I have directed the Commissioner, and he must ensure that he searches everybody and collects all the illegal ID cards that they are parading.
“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.”
It would be recalled that after militantly establishing Edo State Traffic Management Authority, EDSTMA, which was passed into law by the State House of Assembly and assented to on August 5, 2010, the governor turned violently against the established law without reverting to the House of Assembly and without considering the tax payers money that when into the training of the EDSTMA officials. Worst still, the governor did not take into account the efforts of Lagos government and Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA initiative toward the establishment of EDSTMA.
Mr. Young Arebamen, the former Lagos Police henchman retired, an Edo indigene who restructured LASTMA on the auspices of Lagos state government in 2004 and help to put EDSTMA in place must have been writhing in indignation over the abominable bedlam the Benin roads have become. That is if it is ever reported, or he ever chanced upon the horrible places like the New Benin, Oba Market, Mission, Akpakpava, Ekenwan, Airport and Ring Roads that exhibit the dirty old city’s dung.
Earlier, before the present reconstituted EDSTMA two months ago, the governor had contracted Edo Traffic Management to his politcal thugs. One Rev. Ojo Patrick was regulating the traffic at the King’s Square; Ikpoba Hill area was controlled by Mr. Alile Osaretin, Mr. Monday Ogiegor was in charge of Aduwawa axis, Siloko Zone was operated by Mr. Ephraim Odobo, Ugbowow Zone was controlled by Mr. Israel Osato, Ogbemudia Ben and JohnBull Edenazogie, while Sapele Road was under the supervision of Eke Elvis.
According to findings, the disbandment of EDSTMA is politics gone awry. The plight of the people has clashed with the ostensible greed of the power monsters. The fate of Edo people is utterly sealed by cultists and denizens unleashed on the people by the same governor they voted for. These quack and hardly educated traffic managers who allegedly help to furnish terror before and during elections got the blessing of the governor.
“The essence of authorised traffic management outfit, one of the victims of EDSTMA opined, is synonymous with intermodern transport system across the globe which supports business development, attracts jobs, and enhance quality of life by creating a transportation network that minimizes congestion and emissions, while improving safety and reliability. Modern urban transportation help to predict, manage and integrate traffic operation which in turn helps emerging market cities to stabilise.
However, an eye witness countered that the governor ordered the arrest of four staffers of EDSTMA on arrival at the Ministry of Transport office, including the head of operations. Also arrested is Mr. Ohimai Elvis Amu, who is in charge of zone 4, Akpakpava/Sokponba axis. The governor pointed ordered that one Miss Biose Queen who is a female staff of the reconstituted EDSTMA should be arrested and prosecuted, why he exonerates Mr. Austine Avbakhavbokun, the EDSTMA boss, Mr. Olu Koga and others off the hook.
An insider source told FreePress that the governor’s claim that there is nothing like EDSTMA is a mere face saving gambit, saying the governor signed the employment letters of two Chief Executive Officers a few weeks ago to take charge of the agency and gave five million naira N5,000,000 to the overall boss, Mr. Austine Evbakhavbokun, Commissioner of police retired.
EDSTMA was disbanded before 2015 general elections so as to safe the APC from terrible humiliation as thugs in traffic uniform kept terrorising motorists on a daily basis. Edo electorate are watching how possibly Governor Adams Oshiomhole will sustain the momentum by approbating and repprobating.
