How VIO, DESTMA, Taxforce Extortion of Road Users Deprive Companies, Investors in Delta

By Ezekiel Kagbala FPR

There is urgent need to save motorists on Delta roads from the 

nefarious activities of the supposed Officials/authorities of the Delta State Traffic Management Authority (DESTMA) and Vehicles Inspection Officials (VIO) especially in Warri, Effurun and environs.

DESTMA, VIO and taxforces have scaled up extortion of road users using all forms of intimidation, human rights violation, extortion, harassment, physical abuses and brutality on innocent road users.

FocalPoint Reports observed that the Warri office of the mentioned officials is the headquarters of lawlessness, extortion, intimidation, and harassment of perceived victims, which are actions that should be shameful on a supposed civlised government manned by a should-be enlightened governor.

More unacceptable is the fact that Delta State Government permitted the victimization and intimidation of innocent individuals as public thievery on uniforms has become a norm.

The VIO office in Warri, Warri South Local Government Area being occupied by DESTMA, Traffic taxforce is like the commercial hub where all sorts of illegal revenues are generated to God knows where.

The State Government knows that no law confers on VIO, DESTMA Traffic taxforce with such powers to impound vehicles belonging to motorists 

Delta State Government is aware that law establishing DESTMA only empowers it for traffic control and management. 

The State Government is aware that DESTMA officials do not respect the law and operate within it.

The road agents and their vexatious deeds may be borne out of Delta State Government permissive attitude to intimidation and harassment of innocent citizens.

Handlers of Delta State Government should be shameful for being mismanaged by unschooled miscreants, touts, and oppressive uniform agents who scare investors away from the state that is already bedeviled with unimaginable rate of unemployment.

As a matter of urgency, practically disbanding them will save motorists on Delta roads. Those who bring goods and services to the state often have their vehicles tires deflated by VIO, DESTMA, Taxforce.

Thugs in DESTMA uniforms, others in VIO and trafic taxforce uniforms go about looking for victims they want to extort money from, by either having their vehicles impounded or Registration Plate numbers seized, if motorists do not bribe them. Those motorists they cannot drag to their Office at Warri/Sapele Road by the VIO Office, they usually lose their Vehicle Registration Plate numbers, which one is expected to go and bribe them to get back.

Sometime ago, VIO forcefully extorted fifteen thousand naira (N15,000:00) from a newspaper driver attached to the African Newspapers of Nigeria Plc (ANN), publishers of the Nigerian Tribune for not being able to update his Vehicle Insurance papers. 

VIO in Delta State is a bad story of gross corruption, diversionary, abuse of office, and misappropriation that should be stopped.

No law authorizes VIOs to be on the roads to do their business. They are not security men, every enforcing department of government must not be on the roads to do their jobs. 

Deltans are not happy with the uncontrolled lawlessness permitted by this administration. Excesses of government officials are trampling on the rights of Road users.

Three months ago, the office of the VIO, Effurun in Delta State was sealed by the Chairman of Uvwie Local Government, Mr. Ramson Onoyake, over alleged extortion of vehicle owners and maltreatment by the officers, following public outcry that a woman being rushed to the hospital had her vehicle detained along with several vehicle owners and tricycle operators.

Yesterday, Wednesday, June 1st, 2022 heavy duty truck belonging to SETRACO Nigeria Limited was impounded at the Warri South office by men of DESTMA officials. it took the intervention of some military personnel to salvage the situation.

Like a market setting, VIO in Warri South also impounded a bus belonging to an organization recognized globally that they are supposed to acquire state code before coming into Delta State.

Their actions are crude, primitive, and a reflection of a state that is functioning like a banana republic where everyone makes their law and enforces them with impunity.

Those actions are depriving investors, companies from doing business in Delta State. Governor Okowa's administration should focus more on governance than politics.

Outright disbandment of those agents or limiting their duties to laws establishing them will stop their currupt practices.