NURTW, traders accuse AEPB officials of bribery

The Chairman,   National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Zuba New Terminal, Mr Saidu Abdullahi, has accused the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) officials of taking bribes from traders to allow them trade by the road shoulders. The NURTW chairman made the allegation in the face of the AEPB boss, Mr Baba Shehu Lawal, saying […]

The Chairman,   National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Zuba New Terminal, Mr Saidu Abdullahi, has accused the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) officials of taking bribes from traders to allow them trade by the road shoulders.

The NURTW chairman made the allegation in the face of the AEPB boss, Mr Baba Shehu Lawal, saying he could go to any length to testify against the AEPB officials.

He spoke when the Chairman on Ministerial Task Team on Traffic Flow, Comrade Ikharo Attah, led his team to the terminal to observe and enforce compliance of transporters and traders to free flow of traffic on the expressway, yesterday.

Collaborating the allegation, the Zuba Terminal Manager, Useni Usman, said, “We received the news of   relocating to a new terminal with joy, because it will ease traffic gridlock in Zuba axis.  We cleared the new terminal, barricaded it and even put CCTV cameras for traders and transporters to move in but some of the traders refused to comply.  We gathered that some of them contributed money to give AEPB officials in Area 3 office. They were even bragging that  nobody will demolish the place, that it  is the new terminal that government is going to demolish,”

Responding, the AEPB director said the board’s job is to remove all nuisances that impede traffic flow and  unauthorised trading in the street corridors.

“Our staff in AEPB cannot be part of illegality, when you are to bring sanity to the city, you cannot be part of the people bringing problem to the city management, this one is completely new to me. It is very wrong for them to gather money and give to  particular officers or office,” he said.

Attah on his part said the bribery allegations against those who should be at the forefront of the decongestion drive “is quite shocking, disappointing and it is something we are not happy about, especially at a time when you have a minister who trust us and believes that we should go and deliver.”