Newsflash : TIMAAS Deputy General Manager Escaped Death, Brutalized, His Car Vandalized By Keke Union, ATRIWA.
By Augustine Akomas. 22 May, 2020
The Deputy General Manager Traffic And Indiscipline Management Agency of Abia State Comrade Smart Uwakwe was allegedly mobbed by members of a Tricycle Union in Abia state known as ATRIWA.
Read full text of a Press Release Made available to Abia Pulse News by Comrade Smart Uwakwe>
Press Statement.
My Name is Smart Uwakwe, I am the Deputy General Manager of Traffic And Indiscipline Management Agency of Abia State - TIMAAS.
This is an official statement of what transpired today 21st April 2020, between me, my staff and Tricycle Operators Under the aegis of ATRIWA.
At about 10:00 am today, I received a call from the Umuahia Chapter Chairman of one of the Tricycle Unions in Abia state, ATRIWA, Mr. Chinomso who called to plead on behalf of their member who drove again traffic and was apprehended by our men on duty.
As at the time he called, our workers had already issued a government ticket to the erring Keke Rider and I told him that it is already beyond me.
Few minutes later, Barr. St. Moses Ogbonna, the State Chairman of the same ATRIWA also called me over the same issue and I also explained my predicament to him, that our men had already issued a government ticket to the offender, but that he can reach out to my superiors who I take orders from.
They wanted and pressured me to alter the ticket our men had issued but there was no way I was going to pay for the mistakes of another.
Few minutes after dropping that call, another call came in from our men on duty, informing me that ATRIWA executives and Keke riders are holding them hostage, ordering us to release the Keke in our custody or else they will not release our men.
That they had blocked Isi-gate and the adjourning streets and are mobbing our workers and harassing other road users.
One of the personal oaths I took is to never abandon my men in the field, through thick and thin.
So I drove down to Isi-gate, packed my Car and started engaging their Executive.
At a point, seeing the pandemonium and the chaos that could emanate from the face-off and after informing my Superiors, we released the said Tricycle to the executives of ATRIWA, after they had agreed to abide Government laid down rules to Forestall the spread of the Virus.
My efforts to address them as a body, and at least create some awareness on safety measures met a brick wall and serious mob action and physical assault on me and my men.
We decided to take our leave after their Executives assured us that they will work on their members to be law abiding through this period the world is facing a Global health crisis.
Only for me to get to where I parked by car to see that the 4 tyres of my car and that of the 2 operational vehicles men were working with, had been deflated.
We did not quarrel or raise eye brows about it, we saw it as a mob action knowing that what really they wanted from us was just a little reaction for them to justify what would have been a blood bath and the lynching of our men.
Again we left the scene in search of Vulcanizers, thinking that they had done their worst, only to return with the Vulcanizers to see my car and the 2 operational vehicles in Ruins.
They had shattered all the glasses, carted away valuables in my car which I am yet to ascertain, took away the batteries, spare tires and the doors of the mini buses our men use as operational vehicles.
It is unfortunate that Tricycle operators would constitute themselves into such a nuisance to the society to the extent of assaulting and molesting Government workers on official duty.
I urge law enforcement agents to expedite action towards bringing the perpetrators of this dastardly act to book while waiting for Government Action on this matter.
Smart Uwakwe
DGM TIMAAS
Read full text of a Press Release Made available to Abia Pulse News by Comrade Smart Uwakwe>
Press Statement.
My Name is Smart Uwakwe, I am the Deputy General Manager of Traffic And Indiscipline Management Agency of Abia State - TIMAAS.
This is an official statement of what transpired today 21st April 2020, between me, my staff and Tricycle Operators Under the aegis of ATRIWA.
At about 10:00 am today, I received a call from the Umuahia Chapter Chairman of one of the Tricycle Unions in Abia state, ATRIWA, Mr. Chinomso who called to plead on behalf of their member who drove again traffic and was apprehended by our men on duty.
As at the time he called, our workers had already issued a government ticket to the erring Keke Rider and I told him that it is already beyond me.
Few minutes later, Barr. St. Moses Ogbonna, the State Chairman of the same ATRIWA also called me over the same issue and I also explained my predicament to him, that our men had already issued a government ticket to the offender, but that he can reach out to my superiors who I take orders from.
They wanted and pressured me to alter the ticket our men had issued but there was no way I was going to pay for the mistakes of another.
Few minutes after dropping that call, another call came in from our men on duty, informing me that ATRIWA executives and Keke riders are holding them hostage, ordering us to release the Keke in our custody or else they will not release our men.
That they had blocked Isi-gate and the adjourning streets and are mobbing our workers and harassing other road users.
One of the personal oaths I took is to never abandon my men in the field, through thick and thin.
So I drove down to Isi-gate, packed my Car and started engaging their Executive.
At a point, seeing the pandemonium and the chaos that could emanate from the face-off and after informing my Superiors, we released the said Tricycle to the executives of ATRIWA, after they had agreed to abide Government laid down rules to Forestall the spread of the Virus.
My efforts to address them as a body, and at least create some awareness on safety measures met a brick wall and serious mob action and physical assault on me and my men.
We decided to take our leave after their Executives assured us that they will work on their members to be law abiding through this period the world is facing a Global health crisis.
Only for me to get to where I parked by car to see that the 4 tyres of my car and that of the 2 operational vehicles men were working with, had been deflated.
We did not quarrel or raise eye brows about it, we saw it as a mob action knowing that what really they wanted from us was just a little reaction for them to justify what would have been a blood bath and the lynching of our men.
Again we left the scene in search of Vulcanizers, thinking that they had done their worst, only to return with the Vulcanizers to see my car and the 2 operational vehicles in Ruins.
They had shattered all the glasses, carted away valuables in my car which I am yet to ascertain, took away the batteries, spare tires and the doors of the mini buses our men use as operational vehicles.
It is unfortunate that Tricycle operators would constitute themselves into such a nuisance to the society to the extent of assaulting and molesting Government workers on official duty.
I urge law enforcement agents to expedite action towards bringing the perpetrators of this dastardly act to book while waiting for Government Action on this matter.
Smart Uwakwe
DGM TIMAAS
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