By Abba -Eku Onyeka
The Accident Prevention and Rescue Initiative (APRI), a Road Traffic Safety focused organization is urging the Hon. Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Barr. Nyeson Wike to intervene in the recent court judgement/order that restrained the Directorate of Road Traffic Services FCT from operating on FCT roads consequent to a human right case brought before it against the DRTS FCT.
The Directorate of Road Traffic Services FCT is the mandate agency in road traffic regulation and enforcement in the Federal Capital Territory, with the mandate of ensuring the safety of road users and road transport sanity in the Territory.
Stressing on the importance of implementing and enforcing safety for road users, Ifeoma Georgeben, who is the Group’s Head of Administration and Human Resources, lamented the negative impact of the court judgement that restrained the Directorate from carrying out its functions that are primarily for safety of lives and road transport sanity in the Territory.
Restraining an agency from carrying out its function of saving lives is a misconstrued judgement/order, citing the primary constitutional role of government, which is the safety of lives and property which the courts should observe in their judgements.
“We can not achieve the United Nations Decade of Action on Road Safety aimed at reducing road crash deaths and injuries by 50% from 2020 to 2030 if agents of achieving this objective are judicially restrained and restricted.
“Nigeria is a signatory to this mandate, and it is worrisome when the agents of achieving this mandate are judicially restrained and restricted by a court order,” Ijeoma Georgeben lamented
Commenting further on the importance of safety of lives on Nigeria roads that includes FCT, the Head of Legal affairs of Accident Prevention and Rescue Initiative, Barr. Abadaki, urged the Hon. Minister, Barr. Nyesom Wike to ensure that the Directorate of Road Traffic Services FCT is backed by the relevant legislative Act where its functions will adhered with its legislative mandate to avoid frivolous litigations from motorists.
“The FCT Road Traffic agency deserves to be backed with such legislative Act that will strengthen its capacity to perform optimally.
“Hon. Nyesom Wike should as a matter of urgency save the Capital Territory residents and motorists from hoodlums and agberos that have cashed on the absence of road traffic officers as a result of the court order to constitute nuisance in FCT roads and the road transport,” Abadaki said.
