Following the allegation by the Federal Road Safety Corps that late James Ocholi's driver had no driver's license, his colleagues have stated the otherwise.
Colleagues of Taiwo James Elegbede, the driver of the ill-fated vehicle which had an accident that led to the deaths of the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, James Ocholi, his wife and son last Sunday, have debunked claims by the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, that he did not have a driver’s licence.
The FRSC had stated that Taiwo had no licence as his name was not found on the database of the organisation, but other drivers at the transport department of the Ministry of Labour and Employment faulted the FRSC’s pronouncement, insisting that Taiwo was a licensed driver and had served the ministry for about 25 years.
Disclosing this to Saturday Tribune, Taiwo’s colleagues at the ministry explained that the Lexus 570 SUV in which the minister died was given to the ministry by the presidency through the office of the Head of Service, adding that they were not allowed to examine it in order to determine its condition before putting it to the late minister’s use.
They maintained that since the vehicle was not one of theirs, there was the need for it to go through maintenance before being used for such a long journey.
One of Taiwo’s senior colleagues, who pleaded anonymity, told the newspaper that he and others were disappointed at the statement of the FRSC’s Corps Marshal, Mr Boboye Oyeyemi.
According to him, the FRSC boss was at the ministry to meet with the officials Wednesday after the incident, but he was surprised at Boboye’s statement at the Federal Executive Council meeting as it ran contrary to “what he told us.”
Pointing out that Taiwo was a Higher Works Superintendent and was highly professional on his job, the ministry’s transport officers added that he had also gone for a mechanical/electrical engineering course at the training school in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
While attesting to his character as a committed staff member who adhered to the ethics of his job, they stated that Taiwo drove one of the permanent secretaries in the ministry, Dr Timiebi Koripamo-Agary, for more than eight years without any incident.
“In fact, when Mama Agary left the ministry, she still requested for his service because Taiwo was very good. He was released and was with the former permanent secretary for almost six years after she had left this ministry, until we said ‘enough is enough’ and recalled him,” one of his colleagues said.
He showed the national daily photocopies of all the staff members’ driver’s licence, including Taiwo’s, which he, however, said expired on January 15, 2016 along with some of his colleagues’ and that they had all gone to renew them since the last two months “but the process is being delayed as usual” by the FRSC.
“To say that Taiwo has no driver’s licence is very unfortunate. Yes, this is the copy. It expired in January and we have already started the renewal process, but the FRSC would tell you that you can only get a new one three months after you apply. Even if they say this one is fake, they should ask themselves, because it is produced by them and it is their property. They should tell us how and why,” the source said.
He accused the FRSC of making such a damaging pronouncement against Taiwo, who was injured in the accident, in order to make him the fall guy for the crash.
Taiwo’s colleagues added that he has chest pain and is still lying ill at the hospital; hence there is no truth in the claim that he was the one who took pictures that was circulated on the social media.
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