The Rivers State Task Force on Street Trading, Illegal Markets and Motor Parks said no fewer than 30 of its operatives have been sacked over extortion and misconduct since the force was inaugurated, last year.
The Special Adviser to the Rivers State Governor and Coordinator of the Task Force, Hon Bright Amaewhule disclosed this, yesterday morning, when he appeared on a live radio programme in Port Harcourt monitored by The Tide.
Amaewhule, who was reacting to the death of a 75-year old bureau de change operator at the Rumuola axis of Port Harcourt, reiterated that his men were not responsible for the demise of the octogenarian.
He explained that he cannot be everywhere at the same time, but that the reports and complaints from members of the public have helped in the operations of the task force, just as he decried the attitude of some persons who have deliberately refused to obey extant laws of the state.
“We have measures in place to check activities of our men. I can tell you that so far, we have been able to flush out over 30 persons. I can tell you on good authority that those who have been found guilty of one offense or the other, even those who don’t operate with the vest and we confirm that you are a task force member we also discipline you.
“Many of them (task force operatives) have gone and with what is happening now, we are going to take other standard measures. Rivers people should not be afraid. We are not there to witch-hunt anybody, we are not there to just attack people unnecessarily,” he stated.
The governor’s aide, however, expressed worry that seven months after the inauguration of the task force, people still operate illegal markets and motor parks as well as the activities of street traders, but assured that nobody doing genuine business would be harassed by his men.
He further said, “This task force came on board in September, 2019, and upon setting up, we swung into action, and people have been commending our good works. What has been happening of recent is the people continued resistance to obey the law setting up the task force.
“You can’t believe that seven months into the existence of this task force, people are still operating illegal motor parks, still carry out illegal street trading, illegal markets and mechanics despite the efforts we are putting.
“But because of our determination to do what the law has asked us to do, people give us bad name. For us, all that is happening is because people don’t want to obey the law or do the right thing. Although I am the coordinator, but I cannot be everywhere at the same time.
“But the information I get from the public and passers-by helps me on how to also operate. I appreciate the fact that some people have been calling to say, ‘look, caution your people’ and I have noted that. We have been disciplining some of our members where we confirm that they were extorting money from people. We have sacked most of them.
“We have also sacked those who are not necessarily collecting money but who have been unnecessarily hard and very offensive to members of the public. We caution them, sometime, we suspend them for a period of a month, and when they return, they change.
“The important thing is that if you do the right thing, go to Rumuola, people are passing Rumuola freely. Why are we not going after those who are doing legitimate businesses? It is only those who are doing illegal business, as the law says that those who are operating illegally should be dislodged from those junctions or those areas, and that is what we are doing.

Dennis Naku