NAN-H-20
Recklessness
By Harrison Arubu
Abuja, Feb. 25, 2017 (NAN) Some residents of Abuja have expressed concern over the high level of unruliness exhibited by motorists in the city.
Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday, the residents particularly identified reckless driving and uncontrolled parking on the sidewalks as the acts they take issues with.
Mr Ugochukwu Ukaigwe, a civil servant, blamed the situation on the failure of the relevant authorities to enforce the law.
Cue in audio 1 (Ugochukwu)
“It is rampant not only in Abuja but in Nigeria as a whole to the extent that even the law enforcement agents drive on the sidewalks, engage in wrong-way driving (driving against the direction of traffic) and park their vehicles recklessly as if there are no laws in this country.
“I do not think if they leave this country to even Ghana, our neighbours, they would do things like that. It is embarrassing.
“I have not even spoken about the leaders in motorcades, who beat up people around even when such people are doing the right thing.’’
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Another resident, Mr Mohammed Garba, all concerned agencies to come up with a holistic approach to addressing the problem.
Cue in audio 2 (Garba)
“Something has to be done. Relevant enforcement agencies such as the Abuja road traffic agency, the National Orientation Agency, have to sensitise the people.
“The sensitisation has to start with our men in uniform.
“Laws are made for the betterment of the society.
“If you block the sidewalk with your cars, then where do you expect pedestrians to walk on?
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Spokesman of the FCT Directorate of Road Traffic Services, Mr Kalu Emetu, told NAN that the agency was aware of the situation and had been doing its best to stop it.
He said the directorate would make motorists, whose vehicles had been chained or whose number plates had been seized by road traffic officers for parking either on the walkway or on the green verge, to pay a fine of at least N5,000 to get them released.
He added that the directorate was doing all it could to make traffic offenders face the law, saying that all the measures being implemented were aimed at discouraging would-be traffic offenders.
Cue in audio 3 (Emetu)
“We want Abuja residents to know that it is wrong and illegal for one to drive on the sidewalk.
“The sidewalk is not meant for vehicles, but for pedestrians. There are sanctions and we are making sure that such sanctions are imposed on offenders.
“We are working with mobile courts now.
“When you are caught driving on the walkway and your vehicle is impounded, definitely you will go to court, and the law will take its course.’’
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ARU/LAB/YEE
Edited by Emmanuel Yashim
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