Passengers and all road users traveling in and out of Abia State have been implored to make it a duty to always patronize the Government approved parks and avoid the use of makeshift parks popularly known as ‘akanelu.’
The General Manager, Abia State Passengers Integrated Manifest and Safety Scheme (ASPIMSS) Chief Ezinwa Nkire Abiri, who made the call in an exclusive interview with ABIA ONLINE also enjoined those boarding vehicles to ensure they put down their names in the manifest booklet provided by ASPIMSS at all the approved parks in the State.
Chief Abiri disclosed that the Scheme was established to cater for passengers traveling in and out of Abia State, keep records of the movements of passengers in the State as well as take care of their safety and security and appealed to them to comply with park rules.
Some travellers have formed the habit of not having their names written on the manifest, according to the General Manager, noting that such people might not get the needed claims that every passenger was entitled to in the event of any road mishap.
He informed that the sole of ASPIMSS depends on the manifest and payment of claims to accident victims, revealed that he had recently paid some claims to accident victims in both Aba and Okigwe Motor Parks.
The General Manager also used the opportunity to appeal to passengers who are in the habit of not writing down their names on the manifest to have a change of attitude as that would be in their own interests.
Said he: “In December, I was able to pay a claim at Okigwe Motor Park, the passengers boarded the vehicle that was going to Mbaise and on their way they had an accident and when we verified their contentions, I swung into action and made the first claims while in office. Just last month also, a driver lost his life plying from Aba motor park, I gathered the entire Management Staff, Manifest Executives at Aba park and paid the claims to the deceased family and they were surprised, they said they didn’t know such a thing existed, that they thought ASPIMSS was a fraud, I told them no, it’s not a fraud; even the one I paid at Okigwe, one of the victims also said he never in his life put down his name on the manifest, he didn’t know what made him put his name down on that day, unknown to him that they were going to have an accident and therefore he started calling on people to write their names in the manifest that it’s real and not a fraud.”
Chief Abiri went on to reel out his plans for the Agency which he was appointed to barely three months now. According to him, “the Aba office (of ASPIMSS) is in a very deplorable condition, but right now I have started reconstruction work on it. I want to bring the Aba office to the level of the Head office here in Umuahia.”
He praised the the cordial working relationship between him and the staff of the Establishment describing it as a very robust workforce, adding that “When I came in here, I pleaded with them to give me the kind of support they gave to my predecessor in office, they have been doing that exceedingly well, that is why as you came in here every one is smiling and you know development can only take place where there is peace, love and harmony and as I’m talking to you there’s love and harmony in this office.”
On the challenges facing the Agency, Abiri said, “I have rickety ambulances, the ones we have here, because it’s a very component part of the administration here, the ASPIMSS, because if there’s an accident, you have to move to the scene of the accident with ambulance and convey the victims to our Trauma Centre or to hospitals but if the vehicle is not well enough, you can’t get to the destinations so that’s a very major impediment.
Right now we also have need to have a toying Van, none is in existence yet.
The Trauma Centre where you bring in accident victims first, to give them first aid is not fully functional. So these are the problems I’m having but I intend to put that Trauma Centre into use, I want to make it functional before I leave office anytime, any day,” He promised.
He said his intention would be to extend the ambulance services to the three Senatorial Zones so that at every strategic position you will see our ambulance, then it can be easy to evacuate accident victims if the need arises and for proximity purposes. Consequently, if there’s an accident you don’t need to call ambulance from Aba.
