Efio-Ita Nyok|10 September 2016
Recently, the Deputy Governor of Cross River State, Prof. Evara Esu, launched the Mobile Court system in the state comprising the Department of Public Transportation (DOPT), Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC), state owned VIO, and judiciary. As the name suggest, the Cross River State Mobile Court aims at addressing road defaulting and defaulters.
Nevertheless, the activities and mode of operations of the said court has incited Cross Riverians to begin to ask whether this mobile court is ultimately a corrective measure or primarily an avenue for internally generating revenue for the state? The impunity, callousness, etc of their activities is inciting Cross Riverians to challenge the legality of the Mobile Court? What statutes authorises the said court? Below is a cross section of Cross Riverians and their disappointment with the court:
Francis Etang
Those who refuse to speak In the face of oppresion and tyrannies had already joined the oppressors. Ayade government arm-twist motorist in conjunction with FRSC/DOPT/VIO and Magistrates by imposing arbitrary fines and levies on minor traffic offences through mobile court with jumbo fines and levies.
This is happening at the heat of extreme poverty and recession, above all LGA workers and primary teachers have not been paid for over 4 months. Am made to believe that this mobile courts are no more corrective measures but revenue generation. One day the effect of all these underhand dealings and obnoxious measures/policies will cascade down to cost of living under this government.
I do not want to believe that AYADE has really gone through this Saanhadrin mobile court fines and levies regime since he profess that his government will wear human face and having tested the jaws of poverty equally. Where do you expect a LGA staff to cough out 16k as fine for expired Drivers license? And he is expected to go and cough out another 16-17 thousand for renewal? Meanwhile he runs a family with unpaid salaries.
Chris Inyang
CRS TAXES/TARIFFS/TRAFFIC COURTS / VIO/DOPT and FEDERAL ROAD SAFETY.
It is fast becoming a new trend to shift the clueless fustrations of governance on the head of citizens in CRS to motorist and commuters in the name of incessant and unauthorised traffic checks. The judiciary has bent so low that magistrates now lobby to be drafted to preside over public court for traffic offenders because their settlement is instant and bountiful. DOPT and VIO and other mushroom unauthenticated enforcement who before now have not seen their salaries for over 6 months are feeding fat through illegal extortion from motorists on the streets of Calabar.
Mobile courts are springing up in all nooks and crannies. Unbelievable fines ranging from 50 thousand naira to 100 thousand naira are imposed on poverty infested citizens and their vehicles impounded for very minor offences. Road safety places a fine of 40 thousand naira for an existing Driver's License which they claimed is fake but was produced by them. DOPT now has the audacity to ask and scrutinise your vehicle particulars. Thrice a week Road safety will position themselves on the state owned roads to extort money from innocent citizens in this extreme times. The edict that brought this outfit to existence clearly called them FEDERAL ROAD SAFETY COMMISSION. What business do they have in state roads within the city circle. Are the monies collected by FRSC paid to the state coffers. Magistrates attached to the mobile courts are paid at source from the illegal proceeds and only God knows what fraction goes to the state. The so called road safety cannot impress on government to fix federal highways where so many people have died and properties lost. They come into the comfort of state owned roads to make money for a federal government that has neglected this state, sold our oil wells, and robbed us of BAKASSI PENINSULA and leave the displaced inhabitants in sub- zero condition without any aid.
Businesses are folding up. Keke Napep operatives are forced to pay alarming tariffs. Truck owners are attacked on the streets as if it's a crime to own a truck. All manners of stickers must be purchased. Or the vehicle is impounded. Hoodlums in unauthorised uniforms freely extorting money at every turn. Respectable gentlemen and house wifes insulted and gruesomely manhandled for mere traffic offence. Road safety and VIO trucks used to chase cars on the streets as if it's a JAMES BOND MOVIE.
The issue of new driving licence is like writing GCE “A” LEVELS. Pay in Zenith bank. Obtain form in Secretariat. Pay for driving School (Even though you've been driving for more than 16 years), and be issued with a temporary note. Then wait for over 4 months to get the original licence. Which kind life? Clueless people…Clueless government. Small businesses are collapsing. Elephant-size imposition of taxes. Who e eep?
Erete Ikpeme
It's a nightmare my brother.
Peter Ofem Ubi
To VIO Commandant Engr. Paul Bepeh
I was informed states regulate VIO operation, however so, I consider some of the VIO activities in Calabar and other parts of Cross River State to be illegal…especially the mobile court operations.
It will please the public if a circular from the Cross River State operational command of the VIO under the leadership of commandant
Engr. Paul Bepeh be made available -particularly on the legislative statutory authority granting mobile court operations in Cross River State to VIO. Anything less than a legislative bill passed by the CRSHA and signed into law by the Governor authorizing the setup of mobile courts must and should be challenged.
I believe this mobile courts constitute an illegal operations and an extortion means on innocent citizens. The commandant of VIO Calabar operating this mobile court should know that his activities are unacceptable. The people of Cross River will like to know the authorizing legislative bill put into law for such action in Cross River State.
Which Judge seats in judgment of this mobile courts? Are Judges from Federal or State Court?
Efio-Ita Nyok
Is a Blogger & the Editor of NegroidHaven.org (Negroid Haven)