By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

Anambra State Commissioner for Transport, Mr Afam Mbanefo, has vowed to investigate alleged reports of fraudulent activities involving officials of the state Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO).

The commissioner spoke in Awka following a public outcry on fraudulent activities by officials of VIO in the state.

He said that there have been complaints by some vehicle owners that the VIO officials harass and impound their vehicles on trumped-up charges and end up extorting money from them.

The Commissioner stressed that the state government led by Governor Willie Obiano has zero-tolerance for fraudulent activity or corruption adding that the ministry would investigate the complaints.

He said: “No fraudulent person will be spared. The AIRS and VIO had distinct but complementary roles. What is more important to the VIO is that vehicles are roadworthy.

“Ideally, VIO has stipulated and strategically defined roles, they should know exactly what their role is, we will investigate this complaint.

“The officials are not supposed to take money for what they should not take money for or charged for an offence they are not supposed to charge because the penalties are clear and open, every payment must go into government single account.”

According to a source from the Ministry who spoke on condition of anonymity, he said the VIO officials were in very serious racketing business, saying that they have used it to exploit many unsuspecting motorists

According to him, “What is happening in the VIO is serious racketing being supervised by a political appointee and many vehicle owners have fallen victims already.

“The person acting as State VIO is even somebody that refused to hand over to the main state deployed from Ministry of Works who is on higher grade level.”

A victim who pleaded anonymously told journalists in Awka that his car was impounded for three days by the office for refusing to pay a fine of N50,000.

“The VIO officials claimed that one of my vehicle document which I paid for its renewal at the same time was fake.

“Their position after I presented the documents was that they have checked on the database for vehicle license and saw that I have a problem.

“I tried to explain to them that I made the payment through a state revenue official, whom I later brought to clear me, yet they confiscated my vehicle for three days.

The VIO officials had first asked me to bring N100,000, later N50,000 before reducing the money to N30,000 over the offence they said its official charge was N7,500.

“After the invitation of the Motor Registration Staff of Anambra Internal Revenue Service who processed the papers failed, I drew the attention of some journalists and the moment they realised that media people had stepped in, the officials called me to come and take my car.

Reacting to the accusation, the Chief VIO Officer, Mr Macdonald Achuam, claimed that some motorists forge government document.

He insisted that he was working to normalise the system, adding: “Our investigations show that some people drive with fake documents. When you forged government document, you have to pay fine but I wouldn’t know who will pay.”