Executive fraud
How government officials milk helpless motorists
By SAM ANOKAM
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
•A bad portion on the Benin Ore Expressway
Photos: Sun News Publishing

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On major highways across the country, they suddenly materialize in front of your car, brandishing clubs, cudgels and other dangerous weapons like a desperate band of hoodlums. Yet, they are no bandits. They go by different names, most claiming to be agents of government on revenue drive.

Assisted by gun-wielding policemen, they harass most motorists, forcing them to pay for all manners of hastily contrived ‘offences.’ By the time most of such motorists are left off the hook, their pockets are already drained.

Motorists travelling through Ogun, Ondo and Edo states to the Eastern parts of the country are the most affected by this growing scourge.

The sad experience of commuters plying the Benin-Ore Highway can hardly be imagined. With deep gullies turning the entire stretch of the road into a death trap, the federal government’s continuous apathy on the road has continued to baffle many.

In the opinion of many people, ugly incidents that happen on the highway would have been avoided if the Federal Government has been living up to its responsibility of providing basic amenities to its citizens, including reconstructing the bad road that serves as the major way for Nigerians travelling to the country’s eastern parts.
An engineer, Bola Alade recently recounted the humiliation he suffered in the hands of officials of Edo State Government Ministry of Transport and Ovia North East Local Government council while passing through Benin City.

Said he: “I was travelling from Ibadan to Asaba when at the Benin bye pass junction, officials of the ministry stopped me. They checked the bumper reflection stickers on my vehicles and strangely declared that they are fake. The Federal Road Safety Corps never faulted them. And this people were just a stone throw from the police check-point and they were looking at us. Subsequently, a serious argument ensued. What they were waving before me were no better quality. However, I had to give in when I realized that time was running against me, I was forced to pay the sum of N1,500 for the stickers instead of the normal price of N300.”

Alade who made available to Daily Sun various photocopies of receipts illegally issued to him by the so-called Edo State government officials gave another account after the hurdle with staffers of the Edo Ministry of Transport.

His words: “Just after going through the police check point was yet another check point created by the Ovia North East local government council, Okada, Edo State. This was worse. Immediately they managed to get my car off the road, they blocked the tyres with massive boulders. The problem here was on car radio licence. I had none. Before I was allowed off, I had to pay N8,500 on the spot for the papers, otherwise I would have failed completely in my mission. The cost of the whole car vehicle licence was only N1,875. The imbroglio almost resulted in physical assault. As a result, I have suffered untold and unwarranted financial difficulties with psychological depression. A lot of other victims in Nigeria must have gone through the same torture.”

He urged the government to nip this illegality in the bud and bring the perpetrators to book.
Alade is not the only victim of this illicit extortion. So many Nigerians have also relieved their experiences in the hands of these people. It was gathered that because of the bad roads in these areas, these people have been milking people dry.

They operate in such a way that the unsuspecting citizen has no way of escape. They would come out from the bush, numbering about 15 to 20 with different weapons, such as long sticks covered with nails, iron rods, among others.
Someone who claimed anonymity said that his friend was forced to cough out N35, 000 after he was over-powered and was told that it was part payment for mobile advertisement , since he was driving a branded car.

The curious thing about their operation is the fact that these toll collectors come out on Saturdays and Sundays when local governments do not work. And as early as 6.30 am, they are, already out. They issue receipts for permits ranging from bumper reflector, radio clearance certificate, vehicle radio and TV stickers and a lorry load of other funny permits.

This anomaly is not peculiar to people plying the Benin-Ore Expressway alone.
A woman who was travelling in company with her husband for a burial ceremony was accosted by local government officials along Ijebu Ode on the Lagos-Benin Expressway. They were asked to pay for various permits.

When her husband was not cooperating, they seized his vehicle and wasted his time. In order for him not to miss the ceremony, he told them he didn’t have enough cash on him and they suggested he used his ATM card to cash money for them. It was at the bank that the woman who entered first alerted the security man who now called in the police. They were apprehended and the woman and her husband continued their belated journey.
Between Lagos and Benin, there are over 50 check points, and the so-called council officials operate with the assistance of the policemen.

A journalist, Chris Oji who recently travelled to Delta State also narrated his encounter with these people parading themselves as government agents.
He said: “I was on my way to Delta State when suddenly, out of nowhere in Benin, some men clad in yellow and black uniform, barricaded the road. I demanded to know who they were, and they introduced themselves as safety officers, and insisted on seeing my vehicle particulars. I was at a loss, since these people were neither policemen nor Vehicle Inspection Officers. I reluctantly gave them my vehicle papers.

They checked everything but couldn’t find any of my documents wanting. They now asked for my tax clearance, TV and radio licence, among others. As I couldn’t produce any, they told me to pay. I had no choice but to pay seeing that they were ready to assault me. And you could imagine the embarrassment because I was traveling with my brother’s wife who is an American”.
Oji pleaded with the federal government to urgently do something to redress the situation. He added: “This situation is becoming worrisome. There are other groups who call themselves boys scout, able bodied men who are doing nothing but extorting money from people. Government should create a special task force to deal with the situation.”

what is wrong with people?

yaradua is an i_diot?

why cant he repair that road to world class standard for 10 yrs guarantee ; awardin rail contract when u cant even fix your roads i think it once again a joke for such a university graduate? damn huh. 1 of the most busiest road in nigeria, that the federal government should be boastin of. what is wrong with these political brainless baffons damn damn damn

ikeyman00:

yaradua is an i_diot?

why can't he repair that road to world class standard for 10 years guarantee ; awardin rail contract when u can't even fix your roads i think it once again a[b] joke for such a university graduate[/b]? damn huh. 1 of the most busiest road in nigeria, that the federal government should be boastin of. what is wrong with these political brainless baffons damn damn damn

what did he read in school? hope not one of those PHD islamic studies. obasanjo should not be let off this too