Reports reaching our news desk has it that the Rivers State Road Traffic Management Authority, TIMARIV has eventually becomes a sole proprietorship where only the new acting Controller General, CG, Mr. Confidence Eke runs the organization as his family and ethnic business.
The information also alleged that the former Chief Traffic Controller, CTC Confidence Eke has rendered all departments under him, useless, powerless and non-functional as all activities of TIMARIV are now handled only in the CG’s office.
Before the sudden resignation of the pioneer Controller General, Nelson Jaja many things had transpired in the organization which the acting CG and then second in command is allegedly accused of complicity, The Newswriter gathered.
Before the Acting Controller General, Eke, assumed his new office, his former office, Chief Traffic Controller, CTC was vibrant and given free hands to perform its duties.
A knowledgeable source within the hierarchy of TIMARIV revealed that in the present circumstance the reverse is the case, where the new acting controller deploys all capable hands in the organization to the roads to allow him the opportunity of running TIMARIV as his family business.
Trouble started when officers of the agency revolted against the CG’s proposed reduction of officers salaries in the guise of punishment for absenteeism to duty in the past six months.
The Newswriter also has it that the deliberate refusal to pay officers their hard earned salaries since April to date following the highhandedness and inefficient leadership of the agency prompted reactions of certain officers whose positions were relieved by the acting CG.
Though some officers are assessing their salaries at the time of filing in this report, but many are affected and written off as their salaries could not be assessed since management has not only refused sending their names to the Bank but were suddenly sacked.
Knowledgeable source within TIMARIV hierarchy which pleaded for anonymity posits that ninety five percent (95%) of the departments in the agency are now been headed by the Ikwerre indigenes as against the original settings of the agency which was in line with Federal Character.
When asked to explain why, the sources said according to the acting Controller General, the Riverine tenure in TIMARIV had since expired following the exit of Nelson Jaja.
It was also gathered that, the entire operations of TIMARIV services is now supervised, controlled and managed by the Controller General against the former system, but with a system of reducing the stress of toeing vehicles on the road.
According to some officers on the road, the new system is commendable because it ease up the stress of running after vehicles but lambasted the CG for subjecting them to hunger after six months of service without payment.
On the information of the State Ministry of Transport taking over the control and payment of staff salaries, a source within the Ministry of Transport which did not want his name to be mentioned, revealed that it is a lie, saying such move is not discussed at present as the budget for the year is still running without the inclusion of TIMARIV except otherwise directed.
According to the source, the State Governor, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi is opposed to such moves now, saying that the control of TIMARIV by the Ministry was first ignored by top government functionaries especially those in the transport sector and TIMARIV Management at its inception, so cannot be done now.
Meanwhile, many senior officers of the agency now decry the extent of the current activities in the agency, expressing fear of its continuous existence to the benefit of government and workers alike as the Controller General is allegedly administering with highhandedness.
The officers also expressed the fear of continuous working without salaries if the Ministry of Transport could not take over the payment of its officers salaries.
However, officers of TIMARIV are calling on the State Government to consider their plight while the issues affecting the agency is discussed.
All effort made to contact the Controller General proves abortive. ####
