From Correspondent in Lokoja.
Kogi State House of Assembly Committee on Judiciary Monday, conducted public hearing/investigation on the operation of Kogi State Transport Management Authority (KOTRAMA with calls from stakeholders on the House to repeal the law establishing the authority.
They argued that the calls became necessary to check what they described as “questionable style”of operation of the authority in recent times.
The online publication reports that 25 areas of the authority’s constitutional provisions were examined, including the law establishing it, the Constitution, power to control traffic, trial and imposition of fines on traffic offenders, amongst others.
The public hearing led by the committee’s Chairman, Mr Cosmas Atabor, examine KOTRAMA’s activities and its constitutional powers through separate memoranda by the stakeholders to correct all the abnormalities identified in the authority’s operations.
In his memorandum,a Kogi-based Lawyer, Barr. Dele Suru, faulted the authority’s style of operation, adding that it imposed fines on traffic offenders and generating revenue similar to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC)
He, however, argued that the FRSC law supercedes that of the state, adding that that FRSC fines imposed on traffic offenders were in order and usually collected on the spot.
“KOTRAMA is not a judicial organisation to perform judicial functions, therefore, it cannot impose fines unless there is a mobile court to hear the other person’s view on any offence.
“Taking a cue from LASTMA which the Court of Appeal ruled that it has no authority to impose fine, KOTRAMA should not be seen making the same mistake or flouting that Judgment ” he warned.
He said KOTRAMA had its functions but expressed concern that it abandoned it and that the law that established the organization should be subjected to legal scrutiny with a view to expunging all the problematic areas.
He further argued that since the law establishing the authority is not a bad perse and such should not be thrown away, however, it has necessary that“ it must be repealed and reenacted or reintroduced in the state House of Assembly” for more legislative process.
Contributing, Mr Idris Ozovehe, a civil rights activist who toed the line of Suru,wondered why revenue generation had been prioritised more than the safety of motorists and other road users KOTRAMA designed for.
According to him, private vehicle owners are being harrassed even when the authority is only proposed in law and not yet in existence.
“Looking at Schedule 22 of the proposed law with which it is arresting and convicting traffic offenders, there is no record of the total number of convictions.
“Today, everyone points to KOTRAMA as being capable of igniting security challenge in the state with its faulting and embarrassing activities, ” he warned.
The Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Baron Okwoli, admitted that Kogi had a peculiar case of being at the cross road over the authority.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
