Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) has called on the Lagos State House of Assembly and Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu for a review of the traffic offences and penalties in the state.
Mr Alex Omotehinse, Chairman of CDHR, Lagos State chapter, made the call in a statement on Sunday in Lagos.
Omotehinse said that the governor should be cautioned on the new schedule of Executive Order on traffic offences leading to penalties such as impounding of vehicles and imprisonment of offenders among others.
“If the governor really means to address traffic congestion in Lagos, we believe what he ought to have done first is to, as a matter of urgency, start the repair of roads in the state, rather than creating room for the exploitation of Lagos road users.
“The governor should also know that laws are made for man and not man for law. We, therefore, state without any reservation that this so-called executive order is purely anti-people, is uncalled for, is barbaric, is unacceptable.
“We call on the Speaker and all members of the Lagos house of assembly to quickly checkmate the governor and call him to order.
“The CDHR will resist any form of anti-people agenda in the state, and if the assembly fails to do the needful within 21 days after this press release, the CDHR will mobilise the good citizens of Lagos State in a million man march to protest this anti-people so-called executive order,” Omotehinse said.
The rights activist, who noted that the new penalties were far higher than what the traffic law prescribed, urged the Lagos assembly to checkmate the executive arm.
“By this singular act of the Sanwo-Olu- led government in Lagos State, there will be increase in number of prison inmates.
“The Lagos State prison that has already been congested based on the criminalisation of minor offences such as street trading, crossing of expressways etc, will be more congested.
” This has made several citizens being imprisoned for their inability to pay fines of just N10,000 some of whom should have been converted to community service.
“The executive order is an invitation to anarchy in the state, because few days after the announcement, it was widely reported that 13 drivers of 7up company were charged to court for assaulting some LASTMA officials,” he said.
