Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Transport, Hon Orman Esin, has assured that the Ministry under his watch would leave no stone unturned in ensuring the safety of lives and property of both motorists and pedestrians in the state.
He said transportation is not just about the people driving on the road, but traverses the movement of people and goods from one point to the other.
“It includes even pedestrians and motorists. So, we are not only going to be considering the Keke riders, mini bus or truck drivers, but we are considering every Akwa Ibom citizen that is moving from one place to another.
“I am very particular about the safety and security of lives and property because everything in the transport ministry has to do with safety”, he noted.
The Commissioner gave the assurance recently when he played host to members of Sensor Chapel, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Akwa Ibom State Council, in his office.
Addressing members of the Chapel, Esin thanked the Chairman and his team for the familiarisation visit, describing it as a good step in the right direction, while expressing his readiness to partner with the Ministry, saying it cannot thrive without engaging the media in its operations.
The Commissioner advised all motorists and other transporters on regular conduct of road worthiness test on their vehicles before embarking on any trip, expressing regret that 85 percent of road accidents are as a result of negligence.
Esin, who was returning to the Ministry of Transport the second time, disclosed that he would put in place modalities to transform and ensure that decency is restored in the transport sector.
He dislosed that the ministry has inaugurated Akwa Ibom State transporters/stakeholders forum a platform where government policies and regulation would be streamlined in tandem with transportation in the state.
He used the occasion to thank the State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, for his reappointment and the just concluded Akwa Ibom dialogue, and pledged to domesticate the approach in the ministry for effective service delivery.
Speaking earlier, the Chairman of the Chapel congratulated the Commissioner on his reappointment, and solicited support for the professional training of journalists, and also sought his presence in the August edition of the Chapel’s congress.
He informed the Commissioner that Sensor Chapel, one of the 16 Chapels in the NUJ, Akwa Ibom State Council, has 13 active media houses, including broadcasting stations, print and online platforms engaged in information dissemination and publicity.
Ufot urged the Commissioner to look into the illegal motor parks littered across the metropolis which, according to him, have defaced the aesthetics value and architectural framework of the state capital.

By: Christopher Tom