VIO Corruption, Extortion in Delta State: A CALL TO DISSOLVE, REFORM, END VIO IN DELTA

VIO Corruption, Extortion in Delta State:

 A CALL TO DISSOLVE, REFORM, END VIO IN DELTA

By Comrade Ezekiel Kagbala FPR

A painstaking investigation into the militia mode of the approach used by the Vehicle Inspection Officers, VIO in Delta State roads, particularly in the city of Warri and environs. FocalPoint Reports has observed massive corruption, indiscipline and overuse of casual workers to extort road users.

Worse though is the fact that casual staff have become surplus, they are intoxicated with the uniform, viewing themselves as mini police and parade into the roads to exhibit their blind gallantry, disrespect to road users whom they hope to extort money from.

The VIO officers, especially the casuals are so ill-mannered, impolite whenever they stop vehicles because they view their uniforms as license for egregious misdemeanour.

FOCAL POINT REPORTS agrees that there are penalties for driving without the required valid documents and safety acessories, however, there are better ways to enforce law without resorting to corruption, indiscipline and disrespect to the public.

The Delta state government should decisively address the malpractices as did by the Kaduna state government who dissolved their VIO for corruption in 2015, the governor signed an executive order giving immediate effect to his decision to dissolve the VIO in their state. 

The painstaking investigation further revealed how the VIO recruited casuals workers to witch-hunt gullible road users by dragging perceived victims to their offices to pay for various combination of fines without due process, they brazenly Received money in their offices alongside 200 Naira for transportation charges.

 No staff or agency of the public service is allowed to collect or receive cash payments, the state laws prohibit the collection of cash revenues by any person who is not acting as a revenue consultant to the state government.

VIO in Delta State is a bad story of gross corruption, diversionary, abuse of office and misappropriation that should be stopped by the government.

All (VIO) their so-called head of operations popularly knowns as Engineers in Delta State should be investigated with disciplinary action no matter their relationship with government officials. 

One of the Engineers (name withheld) in the Warri South VIO office, ('Ogakpatakpta') claimed to be Untouchable because he is a close relative to the Governor of Delta State, he was  head-bent on retaining the unschooled casual street boys who operate like militias, extortioners and hoodlums to operate on the roads despite public outcry.

It is the legitimate opinion of FocalPoint Reports that all personnel of the VIO should be promptly withdrawn from the roads in Delta state, the permanent staff should be made to report with their uniforms to the commissioner for transport to account for all they have collected from Deltan's that was not paid into the state government bank accounts.

 We suggest that the permanent staff of VIO should be given further instructions, warning that anyone found on Delta Roads, streets purporting to be a VIO Casual should be treated as impostors and be arrested by the Police for immediate prosecution.

The State governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa should note the complaints from members of the public regarding widespread indiscipline, misconduct, alleged extortion and disrespect to citizens by VIO personnel.