What small matter must come to the Government?

After the incident of the "monster" tree that swaggered on National Highway 1A, there is another story that makes many people think. That is, the power of public authorities is being challenged.

Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh requested the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Transport to direct the inspection and clarify whether or not there is any cover-up for oversized and overloaded vehicles on the road as reported by the press and compliance with legal regulations on vehicle weight. If there are violations, they will be strictly handled according to the law...

This means that these ancient trees must also have their origin clearly answered, in order to prevent the situation of taking advantage of ornamental tree planting to destroy forests as has existed for so long.

More importantly, it will clarify the responsibility of local authorities: Dak Lak and the central provinces from Khanh Hoa to Ha Tinh, when allowing vehicles carrying bulky, overloaded, oversized trees, violating traffic safety, which the press calls "monster" trees, to wander on National Highway 1A.

Not clarifying these irregularities is tacitly admitting to openly challenging the law and the power of public authorities, leaving public suspicion that some underground force has neutralized the activities of the Traffic Police, Forest Rangers, Traffic Inspectors, etc.

People were happy to see that the Deputy Prime Minister's direction was very timely, aiming to thoroughly handle the case, not to let the situation of pushing and shoving continue, sometimes saying it was from this general, sometimes saying it was from that pagoda in order to shirk responsibility, causing bad public opinion in society, weakening the law enforcement power of state management agencies.

However, many people also expressed concern that there is something wrong with the operation of the public authority, especially when handling oversized and overloaded vehicles is just one of the countless normal professional activities of checkpoints and traffic safety inspectors on the road.

It is completely possible to handle it at the ministerial level, why wait for the direction of the Deputy Prime Minister?

While the Traffic Police of Dak Lak and the Central provinces have given many explanations for this "dinosaur that slipped through the eye of a needle": the subject transported at night, and the patrolling force could not detect it... the people expressed their dissatisfaction, saying that every day, motorbikes and light trucks carrying overloaded and bulky goods are still regularly arrested and handled by the authorities.

Therefore, the fact that trucks carrying "monster" trees passed through a series of checkpoints shows that the sense of public responsibility of many officials and civil servants in the public authority apparatus is "problematic"!

To save government leaders time on a tree

Ancient history once praised a soldier who dared to stop Linh Tu Quoc Mau Tran Thi Dung (wife of Grand Tutor Tran Thu Do) when she was riding in a palanquin across the forbidden threshold as knowing how to uphold the law of the country. With such subordinates, a founding hero like Tran Thu Do could wholeheartedly help the king govern the country, the Tran dynasty could maintain discipline, and the country at that time could be peaceful and prosperous.

If only the traffic police, forest rangers, and traffic inspectors in the Central Highlands provinces had been aware of their authority and duties and had done their best to stop the trucks carrying those "monster" trees from the beginning, the newspapers wouldn't have had to waste ink and the relevant departments wouldn't have had to hold meetings over and over again these past few days. Especially, the Government leaders wouldn't have wasted time on a tree.

Greed, recklessness, and disregard for the law, when aided by negligence, irresponsibility, leniency, fear of conflict... (if not negativity) of a number of public officials, will cause problems that not only cost time and money to resolve but also damage people's trust in the Party and the State.

Don’t let the Government deal with trivial matters. The story of Da Nang people no longer having a road to the beach, the ancient Trang An sightseeing road having to be dismantled, and now the giant tree lying in the sun on the side of the road… would never have happened if every official in the public agencies had done their duty properly!