The Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has called on Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIOs) not to compromise standard in the discharge of their duties particularly in the current ’ember’ months.
The governor made the call while playing host to a delegation of Directors/Chief Vehicle Inspection Officers from the Southwest zone of the country in his office in Akure, the state capital.
Akeredolu, who was represented by the state Deputy Governor, Hon. Agboola Ajayi while describing the role of the officers as such that has to do with safety of citizens’ lives, said his administration has put measures in place to ensure safety of road users in the state.
According to him, the recent establishment of the computerised vehicles inspection center in the state would go a long way in curbing accidents on the roads, giving the condition of the vehicles as one of the major factors leading to accidents.
He stressed the need for synergy between the V.I.O and the Federal Road Safety Corps in the discharge of their duty as they have a common goal which is to safe lives of road users, saying their roles are complementary.
Also in his remarks at the event, Special Adviser to the governor on Transport, Mr. Tobi Ogunleye, while analysing the procedure for issuance of drivers license, said ninety per cent of the task are done by the V.I.O. while the FRSC takes the credit and shunck the revenue that accrued from the exercise.
According to him, in addition to ensuring safety on the roads, the office of the V.I.O had helped in increasing revenue base of the state with the raise from about three hundred and fifty as at the begining of this administration to about 1.7m per week currently.
Earlier in his address, the leader of the delegation who is the Lagos State Director of Vehicle Inspection Services, Engr. Adebayo Olusoji charged the Southwest governors on the need for deployment of technology for VIO officers for effective maning of the roads.
While describing bad roads as a major cause of road accidents across the federation, Adebayo lauded the state government on its drive on road construction in the state.
He also appreciated the establishment of the computerised vehicle inspection centre in the state, calling other Southwest state to emulate the gesture.
In the meantime, ongoing infrastructural development by which Governor Akeredolu dualise some major roads in the Ondo State capital of Akure has been given a thumb up by some stakeholders.
One if them, who chose not to be identified, said the governor’s swinging into action “following our various criticisms to dualise A’Division-NEPA-Hospital road and beyond has really built our confidence in his ability to take the state to the next level”.
He said, “The capital city is the face of the any given state community. Any governor that is therefore committed to developing it is a serious leader,” he commended Akeredolu, but urged the Owo-born senior advocate of Nigeria to put his name on good side of history by ensuring timely completion of the projects.
According to him, there will be no commendation for governor who plunges his people into long time of hardship I the name of building roads for them but, he said, “in the case of Akeredolu, with the confidence we have in him and he knowing that people need good health to enjoy the infrastructure being built, he will ensure timely and stress-free construction period and complete the projects.”
He then thanked The DEFENDER gor what he described as “your cintrubution playing role in giving constructive criticisms that we believe led to the decision of Governor Akeredolu to work exactly on areas you suggested to him.”
It will be recalled that this online newspaper had on February 16, 2018 published in its editorial comments that the governor would do well if he could take bold steps to, among other things, embark on rehabilitation an dualisation of A’Dvisition upward and Oda Road.
i love this idea