Commissioner wants erring FERMA officials tried
By Yinka Aderibigbe
FOLLOWING last week's eruption of violence at the Taxis and Motors Nigeria Ltd Park in Marina, Lagos, the State Transport Commissioner, Muiz Banire, has demanded the prosecution of the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) officials who allegedly spearheaded it.
Banire also berated the Nigeria Police for failing to prevent the violence despite being warned of its effects.
In a statement by the ministry's spokesman, Adesegun Ogundeji, the commissioner said the way the police handled the issue despite being fore-warned suggested that it was either weak or an accomplice.
"These elements are all over the state extorting money from motorists and the general public while the police who are supposed to enforce the law, turn a blind eye to the atrocities", Banire alleged.
He wondered why FERMA officials would continue to dabble into traffic management despite directives by the Works Minister, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, to the contrary.
"The continued disobedience to the directive of the minister is an indication that he has lost control of the machinery initiated by him and this situation must urgently be redressed", Banire counselled.
The commissioner said that apart from Section 7, Item 1 (e) of the fourth schedule of the 1999 Constitution which vested in the establishment the maintenance and regulations of slaughtering slabs, motor parks and public conveniences on the local councils, a Federal High Court in the state had also restrained agents of the Federal Government from interfering in the running of motor parks in the state.
He, therefore, called on the law enforcement agents to arrest and prosecute the vandals and their sponsors to serve as deterrents to others.
The crisis which resulted in the destruction of 69 vehicles and leaving 20 drivers injured, occurred when some persons alleged to be FERMA officials sought to prevent motorists from using the park.
They had claimed the lease granted Messrs Taxis and Motors Nigeria Ltd (T&M;), a company engaged in commuter operations at the CMS Taxi Park on Lagos Island had been withdrawn.
The leasee had, however, refused, claiming that the agreement they made to run the park subsisted till 2007.
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