By Seyi Babalola
The Ministry of Transportation on Friday exonerated an Assistant Director Transport Operations, Mr. Nuhman Edu, over alleged involvement in illegal unlicensed enforcement activities by the banned Removal of Abandoned Vehicles Committee (RAVC).
It urged members of the public to disregard the misleading allegation against the said staff, who he described as “a decorated and outstanding Officer, and one without any blemish in his over two decades record of service in the State Civil Service.”
A statement signed by the Commissioner for Transportation Dr Frederic Oladeinde stated that Edu, had earlier been paraded as an accomplice of arrested suspects parading as RAVC agents, carrying out unauthorised enforcements in the state, after the government has suspended such activities.
The Commissioner said Edu was exonerated after a detailed probe conducted by the Ministry proved him innocent of the charges.
Contrary to the impression given by the Police, the statement said, Edu had received a notice that some staff of the Ministry had been arrested for carrying out illegal enforcement by the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) and due to his responsibility as the Secretary of the enforcement team in the Ministry, was invited to identify the suspects of which he acted in good faith with the concurrence of his immediate Director, to understand the situation on ground and report same back to the Ministry for further directive.
However, on arrival at the RRS Office, Edu having seen the suspects informed the RRS that they were not part of the disbanded Adhoc Staff of the Removal of Abandoned Vehicle Committee (RAVC) which they had claimed they were. He was asked to write a statement to this effect, which he obliged, after which the RRS Officer in charge of the case assumed that Edu is an accomplice in the extortion of the public by the suspects, therefore, concluded that Edu should be charged with the suspects.
“To the Ministry’s dismay Edu’s photograph was taken and used to defame him all over the Social Media damaging his reputation as a very loyal and hardworking Staff of the Ministry.”
The Ministry condemned in totality the untoward publicity given to the anomaly, hence the need for the clarification.
“To put the record straight, Mr. Edu was not involved in any illegal operation; he is a very hardworking, loyal and dedicated Civil Servant,” the statement further added.