The Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom in Delta State, His Majesty Emmanuel Sideso, Abe 1, has bemoaned the activities of Vehicle Inspection Officers and some other government agencies.

The monarch urged the officers to be more professional in their operations “so as not to allow their activities to discourage prospective investors or threaten the peace in the Kingdom”.

The monarch told a delegation of VIOs led by their provost in Delta State, Mr. Newworld Esenakife, who paid him a courtesy visit in his palace on Thursday that the activities of VIO officials in the area were now a source of concern and was undermining the efforts of the palace to create an enabling environment for investment in the State as well as jeopardising the interests of visitors.

While urging the VIOs to ensure that they do their work “to meet up with the best international practices”, the monarch emphasised that it was in the overall interest of everyone to create the enabling environment for businesses to strive and provide employment for the teeming youths thereby reducing restiveness.

He noted with concern that some of the vehicle inspection officers have usurped the duties of police officers instead of checking the roadworthiness of vehicles.

The Uvwie monarch also noted that VIOs lacked workshops and equipment for their duties, pointing out that most vehicles on the highways were not road worthy and were often overloaded.

He stressed that vehicle inspection officers should perform their duties in accordance with laws establishing them but should not do anything that will scare away investors from the local government area.

The Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom disclosed that himself and the Olu of Warri, His Majesty Ogiame Atuwatse III as well as other traditional rulers in the Warri Kingdom had been working assiduously to woo investors to the State, hence the VIOs should desist from putting spanners in the wheel of the socioeconomic development.

Also, the monarch suggested that the conveyance of heavy loads should be on railways and through seaports as, according to him, the usage of heavy-duty vehicles has contributed in no small way to the bad state of roads in the state.

The leader of the VIO delegation, Mr. Newworld Esenakife, in his address thanked the traditional ruler for his advice promising to pass the message to his superiors.

He, however, disclosed that former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa had provided equipment and centres for testing of vehicles in Asaba, Warri, and Sapele.