The Managing Director of Edo State Traffic Control and Management Agency (EDSTMA), Mr. Dennis Oloriegbe, speaks with FRANCIS ODUPUTE on the activities of the agency and how it has contributed to bringing sanity on roads in the state. Excerpts:
What has the Edo State Government really achieved in the last 12 months through EDSTMA?
The Edo State government, through EDSTMA, has been able to achieve discipline on our highways, decorum and right attitude to driving in Edo State. You would realize that before now most drivers were not obeying traffic light, but now they are obeying, though not 100 per cent but at least we’ve been able to measure up to 75 per cent, which is a pass mark. And all these have happened through EDSTMA’s dogged approach to traffic management – because of people being apprehended for not doing the right thing, enlightenment to people, going to motor parks to talk to people. Also, if you notice, the rate of accidents has dropped tremendously in Edo State because of the astute stand of EDSTMA as well as increased public enlightenment on the use of roads.
Recently, we did a public enlightenment on people not driving in the night or how they should drive the Yuletide period. So, all these have come together to help the traffic system, bringing discipline to road use in Edo State.
What can you say concerning the recent enforcement of colour code for commercial vehicles operating in the state? What is the compliance rate so far?
The colour code was actually a project from the Edo State Transport Authority (EDSTA), but there was collaboration from us, from the police, etc, on enforcement. The compliance rate was not too high; it’s almost 50 per cent, but it has brought a kind of uniformity to drivers on the road. You now know the drivers that are working in this state, those who are not from this state, and those who are just passing by. So, that has brought a kind of regulation to commercial drivers’ activities in Edo State.
We went on fact-finding and saw EDSTMA officers all over town, on duty in the sun, along with other security officers like Edo State Public Works Volunteers (PUWOV), etc, and we commend their efforts. What is the motivation that you are giving to your officers?
It’s not about motivation from us as individuals. EDSTMA is a government agency and we’re actually getting a lot of commendations. If you realize, the governor has already paid December salary, and staff have also received another salary, the 13th month salary. This can only happen in Edo State. And this is the first time such is happening in any state in Nigeria – a state paying 13th month salary. That is enough motivation to make our men work, but like what you asked, what is the motivation? The motivation is continuously encouraging, especially those who are doing well.
Our system in EDSTMA is not only to punish those who are doing wrong, but also to encourage, to motivate those who are doing well. Those are some of the things we’re doing to make sure people are working without thinking that the time, the heat is too much or the rain is falling, you see them working everywhere. It’s to encourage them, motivate them, because we know that some organizations, all they see is bad things done by people; they don’t even realize that where people are not doing well, there are still people who are doing well. So, we try to balance these two.
Going forward, what does the government of Edo State plan to do this year in order to save lives on the road through EDSTMA?
The new year is going to be full of activities. We started planning for it in 2023. The first thing is that the EDSTMA Academy, which is domiciled in Edo South (for now it’s only in Benin City), is going to be replicated in Edo North. We want to have one at Auchi; we want to have one at Edo Central, either in Ekpoma or Uromi or Irrua – wherever we’re able to get land and accommodation, we’re going to replicate EDSTMA Academy so that we can holistically train all the drivers in Edo State. If we’re training here, it’d be too far for the drivers to come from Auchi to Benin, that is why we want to replicate the EDSTMA Academy. After that (the curriculum for the academy is ready), the teachers will be going for a train-the-trainers programme, then they will move out to train. All drivers will be coming for what they call re-certification programme and retraining programme. This training will be holding every year for all professional drivers in Edo State – that’s going beyond only commercial. Professional drivers are those who live on the art of driving, that is, company drivers, trailer drivers, tipper drivers, commercial drivers – they’re all under professional drivers.
That is one of the things we want to do, and the Edo State Government is going to enhance the roads with road infrastructure, that is, putting road signs on the roads, to make sure people obey them. Like in Benin City now, the bus stop identification has been done, but they’re going to provide bus stop shelters where people can stay and wait for their buses.
