Dear All: My name is Ndubuisi Okoji, the president of Association for Better Environment. The association focuses on environmental issues one of which is ROAD SAFETY.
Dear All: My name is Ndubuisi Okoji, the president of Association for Better Environment. The association focuses on environmental issues one of which is ROAD SAFETY.
I have decided to write this email because of the attention that this matter has generated.
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Mr. Ike Uzoh's email was forwarded to me by a colleague on Wednesday evening August 11, 2010. Having read the email, the same was forwarded to the following people the following day Thursday August 12, 2010 asking them to assist:
1. Mr Kayode Opeifa - Senior Assistant on Transport
2. Mr Shola Giwa - Senior Assistant on LASTMA
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3. Mr Tunde Edu - General Manager LASTMA
4. Mr Patrick Adenusi - Coordinator, Safety Alliance
Mr Opeifa sent the reply below and I forwarded this to Mr Uzoh immediately via text message.
Mr. Giwa responded to my text message requesting for the victim's GSM number for him to call. I sent the number and he called Mr Ike Uzoh immediately. Mr Uzoh confirmed this to me.
Mr. Edu responded to my text message asking me to send the victim to him with a note identifying him(Uzoh). A note was sent to Mr Uzoh through the same person who forwarded the email to me.
Mr. Patrick Adenusi called and spoke with Mr Ariyo in charge of Victoria Island zone.
While all these were on, Mr Uzoh went ahead and paid the fine. This we only got to know later on.
Mr. Uzoh later confirmed to me that Mr Giwa had resolved the issue and had asked him to go the next day which was Friday to pick up his car.
However, by Friday August 12th, the story turned up on SaharaReporters and that stalled the release of the vehicle.
I was on SaharaReporters same Friday and I saw the story. This was a day after all these Government functionaries had stepped in.
Please note that I have only met Mr Giwa in person, I work hand -hand with Mr Adenusi. I have never met Mr Opeifa, Mr Edu and Mr Uzoh.
The only reason Mr Adenusi and I took the matter up was because of our various NGOs and having read Mr Uzoh's story, we felt it was necessary for us to step in.
I am doing this email for a reason:
The responsiveness of the Government officials involved. I strongly believe that when Government officials fail in their duties, we should join hands in giving them knocks and where they meet our expectations, we should also give them kudos or applaud them.
The truth of the matter is that the citizens have lost hope in the Nigerian Government and so when we have issues such as this, we never expect anything positive from the Government Agency involved so the way out is take our matter to the Public Domain. I have done that a lot of times as a Social campaigner and I have also commended where necessary.
It is important to let both the readers and those posting comments have this UPDATE in order to strike a balance in their views.
In my opinion, I believe Mr Uzoh took his case to the public domain because he was helpless and that was the only way he thought he could draw attention to his plight. Now that he was able to get them to intervain, he should come back and also update the readers.
I must also not fail to mention that he confessed that he was shocked and overwhelmed at the positive responses from the quarters mentioned above and this has somehow changed his perception to a large extent.
I will like this published if only for one reason, to let people know that they can reach these people when they have issues, send them emails, send them text messages on LASTMA issues and even VIOs as long as you can prove that you are in the right.
PLEASE NOTE THAT I HAVE COPIED ALL THE PARTIES CONCERNED SO YOU CAN CONFIRM THE VERACITY OF THIS STORY.
Thank you.
Ndubuisi R. Okoji
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