Illegal payments for impounded vehicles in Rivers: Concerned citizen wants authority to wade into the matter

Illegal payments for impounded vehicles in Rivers: Concerned citizen wants authority to wade into the matter

A concerned citizen, Miss Aswei Tayo, has called on the authorities of Obio/Akpor Local Government Council Secretariat, Rivers, to investigate illegal payments made for vehicles impounded on the road.

Tayo told Supreme Magazine on Wednesday in Port Harcourt that there was a compound beside the council secretariat where illegal payments were made by owners for their impounded vehicles.

“I urge other concerned citizens to call on the chairman and vice-chairman of the council to intervene immediately to save the situation.

“The authority should not wait until people are killed before they will appreciate the gravity of what these individuals are doing,” she added wondering if they were working for the government.

According to Tayo, a lady was in charge of collecting money in cash from all the cars, trucks and vans in the Obio/Akpor axis.

She alleged that there was an office without desk in the compound, where the unidentified lady collects cash from unsuspected violators without asking any question.

“This payment is made without a taskforce official present to give an account of what transpired on the road, before bringing the offender to the compound.

“The offence, depending on the car type is N8,000, administrative charge N2,000 and pumping of tyre N1,000.

“Money collected on behalf of the local government is without receipt to state the offence and to show that it is going into official coffers,” she alleged.

Tayo said that government setup a taskforce apparatus that would enable erring motorists go through psychiatric evaluation and given a clean bill of health before they were allowed on the road.

“We know how it works, if the right thing is done, the people will not feel cheated even if they do not appreciate government’s effort, it is another avenue to generate revenue,” the concerned citizen said.

She said the dishonest approach was doing more harm than good on the road and recalled how taxi drivers set one of the boys ablaze.

“These people without uniform or any form of identification appear from nowhere and jump into a vehicle like kidnappers,” Tayo alleged.

She appealed to the relevant authorities to look into the problem before it deteriorates to avoid chaos in the state.

Source: NAN

Photo Credit: Google