ARMSTRONG ALLAHMAGANI, Bauchi
Senator Bala Mohammed, the Bauchi state governor, on Thursday, warned the Federal Road Safety Corps Officers and Men in the state to stop extorting money from motorists and other road users.
He gave the warning while delivering a speech during the distribution of the second batch of 655 tricycles and 154 commercial buses as part of the state’s economic empowerment Programme to reduce unemployment.
He said that he will soon come up with Executive Orders in collaboration with the State Chief Judge and the Bauchi State House of Assembly to regulate law enforcement agencies operating in the state.
“I can see and reason with the Transport Union and transport users because sometimes, they are subjected to a lot of problems and challenges ranging from people that are trying to make some enforcements.
“I want to call on other law enforcing agencies like the Federal Road Safety Corps. I have noticed that sometimes, they stay within the town and they will just be collecting money from the drivers and forcing them into unnecessary problems. I will not allow that.
“I am discussing with the House of Assembly and with the Chief Judge in order to come up with executive orders, orders that will make us safe and secure from all aspects of our national lives. We must do that in order to provide some succour and solace for our people.
“We are not inimical to the activities done by them but I am calling on them publicly that I will not stay and look and allow our people to be subjected to the agony of collection and collection unnecessarily,” he stated.
The governor said that the creation of the Bauchi state Transport Agency (BAROTA) which is charged with the responsibility of enforcing road traffic rules just as in Kano state however warning them to enforce the laws with a human face.
He promised that to build many motorparks because road corridors in the state have become motorparks and markets.
He said: “I will call on BAROTA to enforce our rules with a human face, to make sure they do delineation, to make sure they do sensitization and to tell people what to do, not just to apply the law because I am a politician. I work by persuasion, I work as a stakeholder to ensure that nobody is subjected to unnecessary pains.
“They, (BAROTA) should make sure they start immediately with the aspect of sensitization for the Unions and the road users to buy in the template for making sure we do what is required,” he stated.
The governor said the distribution of the tricycles is aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19 pandemic and enforce the National Center for Diseasr Control protocols of social distancing.
DISCLAIMER
The OPINION / COLUMN is authored by independent contributors to the National Accord Newspaper. While contributors adhere to our editorial guidelines, they are not employed by the National Accord Newspaper. The perspectives and opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not represent the views of the National Accord Newspaper or its staff.