Chigozie Marquis
The Commissioner of Transport Imo State Dr. Chika Benson Abazu and his Permanent Secretary Chief Abimbola Ogunleye has continued to infringement to Disobey a recent Federal High Court judgment banning nationwide operations of vehicle Inspections Officers.VIOs
Imo State VIO under the operations of untrained and incompetent politician one Chuks Okwaraejiaku Babanture has continued to designate and mobilize his 30 teams of Vehicle Inspections Officers VIO on the strategic areas in Imo State with the aiming returns of over (50.000) Fifty thousand naira daily per team leader to Chief Vehicle Inspections Officer, Mr. Chuks Okwaraejiaku Babanture.
This according to the sources, he is doing through his Zonal Commanders, Sectional and Unit Leadership of the operations to galvanize resources which they claimed to be part of Governor Senator Hope Uzodimma’s rise in the Single Treasury Account system.
As Imo State driver’s and other vehicle users have narrated their ordeal in the unscrupulous activity of the Officers of the VIO raging from Financial extortion, intimidations and harassment of members of the public and above all operating without human face by grossly abuse of power with Governor Uzodimma’s name dropping as a cover up to commit heinous crimes against humanity and state under the Black and White attires without due considerations of Imo State Governor Senator Hope Uzodimma’s position in the National politics as Chairman of the Governors Forum and many others.
It could be recalled that recently
Justice Evelyn Maha of the Federal High Court in Abuja has issued an order restraining the Directorate of the Road Traffic Services, commonly known as the Vehicle Inspection Office, from stopping, impounding, or confiscating vehicles on the road.
The court also barred the Road Traffic Services from imposing fines on motorists whereas those in Imo State are still negatively effective to extortion intimidations and obstruction of vehicle.
The judgment, delivered on October 2 by Justice Maha, stemmed from a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by human rights activist and public interest attorney, Abubakar Marshal.
Justice Maha, in the judgment, agreed with the applicant’s contentions that there is no legal basis for the VIO and its officials to stop, impound, or confiscate vehicles or to levy fines against motorists.
The applicant, in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1695/2023, sued the Directorate of Road Traffic Services, the Director, Directorate of Road Traffic Services, Mr. Leo, the Area Commander, Directorate of Road Traffic Services (as of December 12, 2023), Onoja Solomon, the Team Leader, Directorate of Road Traffic Services, Jabi Area Command, and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory as the 1st to 5th respondents, respectively.
In his originating motion, Marshal sought, among others, a declaration that the “1st to 4th respondents under the control of the 5th respondent are not empowered by any law or statute to stop, impound, or confiscate the vehicles of motorists or impose fines on motorists, and that doing so is wrongful, oppressive, and unlawful, as it violates the fundamental human rights of such motorists to fair hearing, freedom of movement, and presumption of innocence, and is therefore unlawful by virtue of Sections 6(6)(B), 35(1), 35(8), and 41 and 42 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), as well as Articles 2(7)(b), 12, and 14 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.”
Inspite the Federal High Court, in its judgment, issued a restraining order against the respondents, preventing them and their agents from impounding or confiscating vehicles or imposing fines Imo State Transport Ministry is yet to comply with the judgement thereby bringing bad image and name to the State.
When contact for response, Transport Commissioner, Dr Chika Benson Abazu phone reported unreachable and he could not reply messages sent to him to react on their vehement oppose to the recent judgment banning nationwide operations of Vehicle Inspections Officers VIO in Nigeria.
