-By Zik Gbemre
DESTMA THREAT TO SUE GBEMRE: HOW NOT TO FUEL SELF INDICTMENT
We read the puerile threat by Director General of Delta State Traffic Management Agency (DESTMA), one Benjamin Okiemute, to sue Zik Gbemre Coordinator, Niger Delta Peace Coalition, for perceived defamatory publication in a commentary calling on Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to call his thieving thugs in DESTMA uniform to order.
Seriously, our first response is, BRING IT IN ON, DG Okiemute. For us 48 hours is too long an ultimatum. Make it 24, or better still, rush to the court this very minute.
We're already seated waiting for the Attorney General of Delta State to file and call your case. Yes, you don't know? In this case we dare you to carry out, only the Attorney General, not you, reserves the right to sue, except you want to sue as Benjamin. 'Ekpa'.
Only those who are not informed reading your empty threat here would cheer you. In this critical business of sustained advocacy for good governance and probity in public offices, we deal with this childish foolhardy threats to cover up misconducts by public officials everyday. We are waiting for you in court.
We know you won't dare near any court room as you know you would only indict yourself and your principal, the governor. You will not just contend with one victim. You have numerous victims waiting on the wings to testify against your atrocities as a state agency.
You accuse Gbemre of defamation, yet you confirmed all he said transpired during the extortion on the Mr Kingsley Oghwe in an encounter you were not present.
What were the issues?
1. The victim narrated your men held him for not fastening seatbelt on the driving seat. Your findings corroborated that at the exact spot and date the victim reported, even as your team tried in vain to blow up the alleged offense as larger than it should be.
2. Bargaining from a N75,000 demanded extortion, you confirmed victim parted with N30,000 cash which was not receipted. You acknowledged DESTMA does not accept cash payment on penalties/fines. Victim appealed to them to transfer the extortion money but they insisted he goes to get cash on a weekend to give them.
3. You tried to rationalize the cash payment by saying the victim gave it 'unilaterally', as if he forced it on DESTMA or whatever you meant by 'unilaterally'. Same victim whose appeal to pay into the corporate account your thugs refused.
For FRSC that DESTMA was established to duplicate its functions, their operations is so transparent that the fines for offenses are at the fingertips of drivers, just by googling FRSC fines against offenses.
For DESTMA, only its thugs and the government who appointed them determine the fine to pay.
And in case you're not aware, FRSC charges N2,000 for seatbelt offense, but for Oborevwori's DESTMA, no fixed fine.
A victim gets a N75,000 bargaining price for same seatbelt offense. Then you bargain till you're allowed to pay N30,000 with much appeal for leniency.
"We received a receipt of payment on Monday, 3, March, 2025 of the sum of thirty thousand naira which was unilaterally made by Mr. Kingsley Oghwe albeit our Agency does not accept cash as part of our operational procedures", you said. You will tell the court how much DESTMA fines offenders for seatbelt and how you 'unilaterally' collected N30,000 cash against the rule.
Even if actually, if the law fixes N30,000 as fine for seatbelt, we're still vindicated that DESTMA is not meant to improve traffic but to extort on the helpless public as part of channels to generate revenue for the Oborevwori administration to play with at the expense of the citizenry.
In your puerile damage control, you can struggle hard as you like to cover up the impunity of extortion by DESTMA under your headship by playing the victim and raising diversionary allegations. All amount to nothing.
The ramifications from our charge against DESTMA is the feedback from several victims telling their stories of even bigger extortions and more severe intimidation and harassment from thuggish personnel of DESTMA
Your taking Gbemre to court may well be the best opportunity for the public to ventilate their frustrations.
Let me add, your media showmanship is not how you serve an intent to take legal action. No court will acknowledge that.
You get your lawyer to write Gbemre. That's how it is done. Do it right or engage in media foolery, who cares?
What we expect of you in your damage control is to return the money you extorted from Mr Oghwe, tender unreserved apology to him and all victims of your thieving DESTMA and pledge to be of good public conduct.
Choice is yours.
Good luck.
Zik Gbemre
March 7,2025
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