ABOUT 135 staff of Anambra State Traffic Agency, ASTA, have been sacked for various offences ranging from extortion, bribery, intimidation and harassment of motorists in the state.

Commissioner for Transport, Mr Chike Ohamobi, in an interview with Vanguard on the activities of the ministry, said the action followed government's resolve to purge the ministry of bad eggs.

He said the affected staff who had been handed over to the police for investigation, would be prosecuted as soon as investigations were over.

Ohamobi said the ministry had set up a monitoring team that would henceforth monitor activities of the ASTA staff, saying the ministry would collaborate with the police, SSS, FRSC and other security agencies.

According to him, the staff of ASTA have no reason to be involved in extortion of money and other social vices when government has ensured that they are paid salaries and allowances due them promptly.

Ohamobi further hinted that the state government owned transport company, TRACAS, would soon be privatized on ground of poor performance.

He said only five of the 40 Peugeot Expert vehicles handed over to the management of the transport company by Peter Obi's administration were functioning adding that the gesture was to resuscitate the almost moribund company.