CDHR Storms Lagos Assembly Protesting Over Traffic Laws

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

The Committee for Defence of Human Rights, CDHR, Lagos State, in conjunction with other human rights organizations on Thursday stormed the Lagos State House of Assembly to protest the executive order pronounced by the Governor over traffic laws in the State.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that hundreds of the members and other groups marched from Obafemi Awolowo Way in Ikeja to the entrance gate of the State Assembly singing various songs condemning the laws, which they described as Draconian laws against the people in the State.

However, when they got to the entrance gate of the Assembly, they met stiff opposition from armed security agents who attempted to prevent them from the protest gallery at the Assembly Complex.
The group insisted that they will not submit their protest letter to the Speaker from the entrance gate, where they were blocked and remained adamant until some House members came out and directed that they should be allowed entrance to the protest gallery.

The Chairman of CDHR, Lagos State, Comrade Alex Omotohinse, said that before they embarked on the protest, the group had given the State Government 21 days to cancel the new traffic laws because it was against the people.
He explained that the laws were definitely meant to increase the number of people in the already congested prisons in the State. He hinted that there are five prison centres in Lagos State with the capacity to accommodate about 3,000 inmates and regretted that as at March, 2019, the prisons were heavily congested with about 9,000 inmates due to the arrest and detention of those who contravened minor offences and were sent to prison for as low as N10,000 fines.

Omotohinse said that apart from the demand to abolish the executive order on traffic laws, the Lagos roads were in bad shape, the traffic lights were not functioning, stressing that the State officials must live up to the expectations of the people that elected them.

“The roads in Ketu, Mile 12, Agege and other areas are in bad shape and need urgent attention and so imposing of heavy fines and imprisonment on traffic laws with executive order should not be the priority of the Governor” he stated.

In the letter sent to the Speaker of the State Assembly, the group made the following demands, which they asked the lawmakers to address within 21 days or they will move to the next of the struggle by going to Court.

The demands were: Reversal and reduction of fines, outright cancellation of imprisonment terms and impounding of vehicles in traffic laws, that the first offender should be warned and free from all charges and fines, proper repair and monitoring of traffic lights and immediate repair of roads in the State for easy trafficking and enhancement of navigation inquiry in the State metropolis.

They also alleged that the independent investigation they carried out revealed that the security and law enforcement units have been hiding under the barbaric order to extort Lagosians.
“The executive order in democratic setting was supposed to relieve Lagosians of the agony and stress they face on Lagos roads daily and not to make life more difficult to Lagosians”

While accepting the letter on behalf of the Speaker, Hon. Bisi Yusuf, commended the group for their peaceful conduct on the protest and promised to deliver the letter to the Speaker. He said that the complaints will be looked into and if there was any area that needed to be addressed, certainly the house will do so. He assured that the House will get in touch with the group to discuss more on the issues they raised.

Hon. Braimoh, who also addressed the group, noted that the traffic situation in Lagos has deteriorated so much that the State needed to do something. He said it will be unfair to say that the traffic laws were made as punitive measure on Lagosians.
However, he promised that the House will get in touch with the group to address the issues raised for the interest of the people.

Some of the groups who joined in the protest included: United Action for Democracy, UAC, Grassroots Women Initiative, GWI, Human Rights Monitoring Group, Landlord and Tenants Association of Nigeria, Tenants Right Project, Committee for Workers Right, Democratic Motorcyclist Association of Nigeria and others.