Stakeholders Caution Traffic Agencies Against Public Outcry

The statutory agencies responsible for traffic management and control in Rivers State have been reminded that ill-gotten wealth does not pay and should therefore work with a human face.

This advice was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of a one-day joint interactive session between the Police, Rivers State Road Traffic Management Authority (TIMARIV), and  the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) organised by the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), Port Harcourt Area Command, held at the Police Officers Mess, Old GRA, Port Harcourt yesterday.

The nine-point Communique said the call was necessary inorder to ensure that the efforts of Rivers State Government in wooing investors and providing a conducive atmosphere to do business in the state was not in vain.

It said all actions taken by the various agencies to minimise public out cry and forestall the breakdown of law and order should be taken seriously, and called on them to be transparent in their dealings with the public up to the grassroot, adding that the public must be enlightened on the fines applicable to each offence and enlightened also on adequate road signs as well as the rule and regulations on the road.

The communiqué enjoined the public to co-operate with the traffic management authorities by knowing and obeying traffic rules and regulations and reporting erring officers to the appropriate authorities for disciplinary measures.

“As is to be expected, there are bad eggs in these organisations and each organisation is working at flushing them out,” it stated, and stressed the need for  the agencies to liaise with the state government to provide packing lanes on the roads.

It lauded the Port Harcourt Area Command of PCRC for enabling stakeholders reason together on ways and means of letting the public know the provisions of the law establishing TIMARIV with a view to dousing ill feelings towards the organisation and engendering co-operation.

The communiqué was signed by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Rivers State, Mr Thomas Etomi for the commissioner of police, Mr Muhammed Ndabawa, Mr Confidence Eke for the Controller-General, TIMARIV, Dr. Nelson Jaja, Mr. S. Okey Ordu for the sector Commander of Federal Road Safety Corps, Chief  .S.O .Dappa, State Chief Vehicle Inspecting Officer (VIO), the Port Harcourt Area Commander of Nigeria Police, Bello Makwashi and the Chairman, PCRC Area Command, Mr Godfrey Agorom.