Thursday, 24 November 2016

DESTMA authorities apologize to Trend FM, journalists for incivility

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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