Extortion Of Motorists: We Tender An Unreserved Apology – AMAC Chair Pleads
Following what he considered as excesses and unlawful operations, the Chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) Hon. Abdullahi Adamu Candido, has announced the immediate disbandment of the Council’s Taskforce charged with the mandate of enforcing compliance with safe road usage by motorists.
Hon. Candido, who announced the disbandment on Monday at an Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Stakeholders Town Hall Meeting on the activities of AMAC Task force/Marshal, also tendered an unreserved apology to residents of the Council over what he described as the highhandedness of members of the Taskforce
The AMAC Chairman said as a first step towards addressing the issue, the Council has commenced the training of AMAC Special Marshals twith a view to properly equip them with professional skills to enable them take over the functions of the Taskforce.
Hon. Abdullahi Candido said that his Council is concerned with public outcry, particularly motorists over the high-handedness, extortion and harassment by the taskforce, adding that the Council is aware that not all revenue collectors are genuine and is therefore determined to address the concerns of members of the public.
According to Candido; “AMAC task force has over reached its bound with the way it went about its task of ensuring safe road usage by motorists. “Government comes and Government goes, but what is most important is the policy. Definitely some policies may be harsh not because of the law but because of the actors and implementers.”
The AMAC Chairman explained that he was a victim of such embarrassment by officials of the Taskforce who did not know that he is the Chairman of the Council, adding that he could therefore connect with the concerns of the residents, stakeholders in the Municipal Area Council.
Candido said that the complaints of residents are not strange since he has also been accosted by the Marshals while on the road and embarrassed for no just cause but endured it before revealing his identity.
In his words; “I have received series of complaints, I have had reasons to drive to places from where I received complaints to intervene. The Taskforce has gone to the extreme. The task force did what it was not supposed to do. Sincerely on this note, we are not military dictators, we are civilians. I wish to on behalf of the management of the Abuja Municipal Area Council tender an unreserved apology for the hardship imposed on the people.
“We are very sorry and sincerely sorry. Sorry is not enough, we took serious step and measure to ensure the sorry takes effect. Sometime we see many of these people wearing some form of identity. Some are fake just like the ENDSARS.
“The bad ones, we are expunging and disbanding them. You will never again be confronted with any fake AMAC Taskforce. You will be engaging only with our Marshalls,” the AMAC boss assured.
Earlier, the NUJ FCT Council Chairman, Comrade Emmanuel Ogbeche, said the Union as a critical partner in the development of the FCT is committed to bringing to the front burner nagging issues among the residents for an improved Territory.
Ogbeche said the move by the NUJ is in accordance with the agenda setting of the fourth estate of the realm, adding that the town hall Stakeholders meeting was meant to bring together the political leadership and the citizens to dialogue and find a solution to the challenges for a harmonious AMAC and the Federal Capital City, adding that the Town Hall Meeting was not to witch-hunt but a meeting for social re-engineering.
A communique issued at the end of the Town Hall Meeting which was signed by the Secretary of the NUJ FCT Council, Comrade Ochiaka Ugwu and the Chairman, Organizing Committee. Omeiza Ajayi stressed the need for synergy among relevant government agencies, motorists and other stakeholders in the transportation sector.
Participants also agreed that the taskforce had overstepped their bounds in the course of their operations and therefore stressed the need for the introduction of technology in enforcing road traffic regulations in AMAC.
The Town Hall meeting agreed that enforcement of traffic regulations must be done by well-trained officials in a civil manner rather than in a gestapo fashion.
Similarly, participants resolved that private consultants should no longer be used for enforcement of road traffic regulations in AMAC.
The town hall meeting was necessitated by concerns from members of the public, particularly motorists, over the high-handedness, extortion and harassment by the taskforce.
The Town Hall meeting was attended by the Chairman, Abuja Municipal Area Council, Hon. Abdullahi Adamu Candido, his vice, Lawrence Onuchukwu, the Council secretary; Director, Department of Outdoor Advertisement and Signage DOAS in the FCT Administration, Dr Babagana Adam; FCT Commissioner of Police, Bala Ciroma who was represented, FCT Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps FRSC, Ayuba Gora Wobin, Director Operations of the FCT DRTS, Mr Dele Yaro, Executive Director of CASER, Barr. Frank Tietie, representatives of various transport unions, members of the NUJ and the public.
