By Samuel Ogude
Following the announcement of the Delta State Commissioner for transport, Hon. Onoriode Agofure that the Delta State Traffic Management Agency (DESTMA) officials return to the state roads next week, many Deltans have reacted this development as a result of the behaviour of DESTMA officials while on the roads before they were eventually pulled out of the roads.
Among those who reacted to this development over the weekend was the Chairman of the Committee for the Defence Human Rights, Delta State Branch,Comrade Jonathan Giama.
According to him, Deltans would not forget in a hurry the kind of torture the DESTMA officials melted to the average motorists on Delta roads while they lasted (on the roads). He said, he is not against their return but they should be able to tell the road users their method of operation as regards traffic rules on the roads.
According to him ,although the Commissioner for transport, Hon. Onoriode Agofure has assured Deltans that they would operate with human face, Comrade Jonathan Giama said that is not enough but they should declare to the public their Modus Operandi before they are allowed to go back to roads, that is, the amount to be paid by defaulters so to avoid extortion by the operators.
According to him, they (DESTMA) must be transparent in their operations saying, their former operational method was their aggressive attack on motorists as if they were at war with them(motorists) or any other persons who interfered by way of mending fences when they crashed with motorists on the roads during their operations. The Delta State branch CDHR boss said their(DESTMA) leaders or heads must be ready to entertain complaints to enable Deltans know that they are serving the people in good faith. This according to him, this is to avoid the repetition of what they did to many motorists before they were off the roads.
His words:” l, as a person, l am not against DESTMA officials’ return to the roads to help control the traffic congestion but they should let us know the way they want to operate this time around so that they would not unnecessarily harass innocent and extort motorists on the roads as they used to do”.
Comrade Giama said many of the DESTMA officials deviated from what brought them to roads and began to do otherwise, which according to him, has made them earn the hatred of many Deltans especially motorists, tricyclists and motorcyclists.
He therefore advised the Delta State Commissioner for transport to work on the officials in this regard to avoid a clash of interest between the officials and the general public in the interest of peace in the state.
Many others, especially motorists and tricyclists who did not want their name in prints but let out their opinion said, there was no need for DESTMA to return to the roads because they are not well behaved. One of them said:”They would never behave well, they would go back to their former behaviour of bullying them on the roads”.
Some saw the DESTMA officials’ work as the duplication of job as the road traffic officials in yellow and black are already regulating traffic, so, there was no need for DESTMA officials to return because they are doing the same work.
One of them said:” As for me, there is no need for DESTMA officials to return to the roads, they are too bully. They do not only extort motorists but beat them at slightest provocation. Again, they are doing the same work traffic wardens are doing, so why DESTMA? It is duplication of office”.
Recall DESTMA officials were sent out of the roads for some time now as a result of the reports of their incessant harassment of motorists, tricyclists and other roads users in the state.