The authorities of the Delta State Traffic Management
Agency, DESTMA, led by the Director General, Mr. Stephen Dieseruvwe and the
Director of Operations, Navy Commander Sam Azubuike Idah (Rtd) have apologized
to the pioneer private radio station in the state, Trend FM and journalists for
being temperamentally uncivil after the radio station aired a news report from
the arrest of a school bus driver who allegedly beat the traffic and ordering
down of school children from the bus on their way to school.
The duo Wednesday, 23rd November, 2016, offered these
apologies during a press conference with journalists in Asaba to clear the
issue. They both asked the forgiveness of journalists who had come so hard on
them, adding that they realised they had made mistakes in the cause of carrying
out their official functions.
The DG, Mr. Stephen Dieseruvwe therefore sought the
synergy of the media practitioners in order to succeed, adding that their
assignments included traffic control, management and enforcement for the
purposes of ensuring free flow of traffic within the state for a better social
economic activities in the state. He stated that any driver that is stopped is
as a result that a traffic offence has been committed, exonerating the field
men from indiscriminate arrests and collection of money from offenders.
However, the confident Navy Commander Sam Azubuike
Idah (Rtd) described self as gentler and simpler in office than when on duty on
the roads; explaining that he is not a superman to be above mistakes. He
affirmed that he had from inception of the Agency, conceptualized a system
where the staff would be firm but fair, adding that so far a traffic has been
beaten by making calls while driving, not putting on sit belt or beating the
traffic light, such offender must be arrested.
He explained that what happened at the Trend FM where
he had gone to complain against their broadcast was unfortunate. He said of a
truth a driver, driving a school bus for Benita School was stopped and booked
for traffic offence, but was not arrested, neither were the school children
ordered down from the bus.
Mr. Idah maintained that after the incident the driver
refused to leave the scene with the argument that he would not have the money
to pay, but instead called a parent who came and asked the children to come
down from the bus.
He stated that when he heard that the school vehicle
was impounded and the school children ordered down, he was furious and had gone
to locate Trend FM to speak with the studio manager or the supervisor; but when
he could not see any of them, he ended up speaking with a staff where words
were exchanged whether palatable or not he could not give account.
The former military man said the Proprietress of
Benita School and the conductor of the school bus could testify to the true
state of the story. He said the driver committed offence to have beaten traffic
and when stopped had no driver's licence. He posited that the Agency does not
collect fine which is exclusively reserved for the judiciary, stating that what
they collect is penalty after an offender has been handed a citation.
Mr. Sam averred that he had lived in the US for a long
time to understand how to respect the rights of the media and freedom of
information. He said there was no intention to confront the Trend FM in an
uncivil manner, stressing that we should let bygone be bygone and work in
synergy to move the Agency and the state government to the next level of
development.
Moreover, the NUJ Chairman, Comrade Norbert Chiazor
commended the DESTMA team for taking the bold step to come and brief the press
and to clarify things. He advised them not to wait until relationships go sore
before taking the fire-brigade approach to solve issues.
Chiazor admonished the duo of Dieseruvwe and Idah to
show maturity and lead the transport organisation by example and not to allow
misunderstanding creep into it. He implored them to recognise the power of the
media and always ensure that they build synergy and partnership with the press
in order to succeed in their assignment.
Written By: Patrick Ochei.
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