EBEN ENASCO REPORTING.
There is hardly any human society or human settlement system that can function efficiently and effectively without adequate, reliable and safe Human, Vehicular, Pedestrian and Commuting system’s management.
The most fundamental reason identified for this, is the perpetual extortion by some elements within the fray of the scheme.
This seems to have hampered the catalytic effects of urban development on socioeconomic growth and development.
Traffic free flow system can also play a significant role in territorial administration, political development, the defense of territories as well as in promoting intercommuter’s cooperation.
In Benin City, the Edo State Capital, there is a complex mix of land uses and all the major broad groupings of person movements in urban areas are made between them.
Thus, while trips are made for a variety of purposes they are made to and fro various land uses.
Within any specified geographical area, certain land uses are greater attractors or generators of trips than others.
However, the type of land use in Benin metropolis by commuters and motorists, affects the flow of traffic to and fro any location and therefore, the possibility of road traffic accidents.
OUR FINDINGS ON EXTORTION AT VARIOUS PUWOVS’ ZONES.
Sad that some people entrusted with public offices are now using same to line their pockets, and our desire to reveal the true position took us to New Benin, Egor, Oluku and others
NEW BENIN AND ENVIRONS
Our findings revealed that it was total hell for traders and motorists who where subjected to pay for spaces on prohibited areas, like Walk ways, and part of adjoining streets within the New Benin Market and environs.
Some traders who authoritatively informed our investigating crew, disclosed how Point of Sales, POS, operators were allowed to place their kiosks and trade on prohibited walkways.
Those who pleaded for anonymity for fear of being attacked by the suspected subject, said they were made to pay between 5000 and 10000 thousand Naira for the space every week.
According to the source, there were more than 40 POS’ at new Benin erected on walkways across the area, and owners were made to pay money before the stand were placed illegally on prohibited points.
The source maintained that, Commercial vehicles, Bus drivers who could pay the priority imposed by the Zonal head in New Benin would be allowed to load passengers while others stayed in the reserve parks for commercial vehicles.
While expressing disappointment the source availed that, it got to a point where some staffers were recruited to help load passengers on vehicles heading to different places.
It further revealed that, the henchmen, also constituted an illegal sub revenue collection team within the PUWOV scheme at New Benin, compelling traders and drivers to remit monies or face either molestation, or expulsion.
The source also affirmed that, they told them, on Sunday, was always work free day for PUWOV staffers and are not always on duty, a development later refuted by the Coordinator, of the scheme Muktar Yusuf-osagie.
When speaking on the issue of working on Sunday, Osagie denied and noted, it was a ploy put in practices by the criminally minded elements to sway the public and extort them.
The revealing fact is that, most traders and commercial drivers who have become victims, now heaved a sigh of relief.
For the past two to three weeks these elements have been removed from operating in that axis and peace tend to have returned, they claimed.
Their positions are that they don’t want them to come back.
These attitudes at New Benin, leapt to other zones and almost crippled the frame work of PUWOV.
THE RECENT DEVELOPMENT.
Determined to offer more revelations on various measures put in place to revert the anomalies, it was glaring that things have become normal as vehicular operations were seen orderly queuing for passengers.
Eyewitness revealed that, since the removal of the leadership from that area, the extortion in New Benin has stopped completely with new hands.
The new Benin drivers say, the extortion has stopped and the road is now very clear, adding that, the beauty of the area is gradually returning to the way it was when Puwov initially cleared it in 2017
According to them, “Remart park is now free too even on a market days, stressing,”the traders have all been relocated inside the market in egor, Oluku which has equally been cleared”
For Public Work Volunteer Scheme, PUWOV, it is time to reform the existing mechanisms to allow free flow traffics across the state.
The Coordinator of the Scheme, Muktar Yusuf-osagie who had been working relentlessly to complement other anti traffic collaborators, say there is no chance for defaulters to deface the Scheme’s objectives as well as the internal traffic machanisms in the State.
Yusuf-osagie, who has been voicing his concerns lately over the attitude
of some staffers of the scheme towards the public, explains his new plans at upholding its mandates by deliberately taking disciplinary measures against all bad eggs.
In achieving the set goals, Yusuf-
Osagie says, he is soliciting stronger ties between other security agencies in the state, and residents’ support to maintain discipline, curb criminality to ensure peace and orderliness.
While admonishing, members of the public to be observant and mindful of some miscreants on black outfits posing as PUWOV taskforce to extort money from innocent citizens; he urged them to report anyone involved in such act of illegality.
Arguably, Flash points, were extortion had become predominant, have been in the New Benin Markets, Ikpoba hill market locations, Uselu Ugbowo axis and some part of the busy king square popularly known as ring road where commercial drivers are regularly extorted and placed on priority loading points.
These extortion have raised wide negative reactions from road users, commuters and pedestrians who have become perpetually worried about their plights.
Some victims, who spoke to our Correspondent, warned of renewed imminent return of thuggery and wanted a response from the Scheme’s leadership and the State Government.
Peeved by the development, the coordinator of the scheme Yusuf-osagie, who admitted that some bad elements among them, extorts people, immediately demanded a change in guide.
He noted that, Some zonal offices across the metropolis, were changed to accommodate and front the core mandate of the scheme.
According to Osagie, “the news of extortion by our staffers became very embarrassing. We needed to change everything and everybody and that’s what we have just done to instill sanity”.
“Today, go and find out from traders and road users from those Flash points, peace has returned. We would no longer tolerate any form of extortion by our staff”.
“I have never encouraged priority and would never do it. I have been getting complains of some staffers involvement in this act, but they have not been caught. Ones they are caught we would have no option than to flush them out instantly.
“I have made all available contacts’ numbers available for members of the public to report all erring personnel to us”. So I’m using this opportunity to appeal to all to join in the fight to make Edo great again.
TESTIMONIES FROM ROAD USERS, OTHERS.
Since the drastic decisions to reform the Scheme, some victims of the old era have continued to hail the dexterity of the Coordinator, Mukhtar Yusuf-osagie for his timely response to their plights.
They specifically commended the new development and hoped for its sustainability.
However, noting their remarks going forward, we have carefully selected few from the pool of respondents who aired their reservations.
MOSES AGBONKPOLOR (BEDC/POST OFFICE BUS STOP AKPAKPAVA STREET).
A commercial private driver said Muktar Yusuf-osagie doesn’t collect money. But said, they have been paying priority to some of his staffers unknowingly to him.
According to him, “Look we are used to paying for priority to allow us to load. Today, things have changed. Our only challenge is that he asked us to leave that place we used to load. We are appealing to him to give us another space because that is our means of survival. We know he would never collect anything from us.
MAMA OSAS, (TRADER AT NEW BENIN MARKET).
A trader at New Benin Market, decried how they were forced to pay huge amounts before the new reformation.
She claimed that, for the past three weeks that has stopped.
The delighted woman who narrated further how they were extorted hailed the new development, adding, “it has reduced our burdens and now happy unlike before.
Since the establishment of Public Work Volunteer Scheme, PUWOV, in 2017, by the Edo State government over 2,800 youths cut across the 18 local government council areas have been engaged.
From the total number of engaged staffers, statistics revealed that, approximately 60 staffers have been disengaged from the scheme for allegedly embarking on extortion and other related crimes.
Recall that, the core mandate of the Scheme is to restore Public order through sensitization and enforcement of same.