The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) on Tuesday said it would begin enforcement of the new drivers’ licence and number plate on Aug 1.
The Lagos State Sector Commander, Mr Chidi Nkwonta, said that the decision followed the new court judgment.
“This new judgment made it very clear that as from Aug. 1, FRSC should impound.
“So, Nigerians must discountenance that first misleading judgment and take this one because we are going to continue enforcement as from Aug. 1, 2014.
“We never asked anybody to stop (processing licences). Anybody who stopped ab initio stopped at his own peril.
“Neither did the court ask anybody to stop, that judgment never said anybody should stop.
“So anybody who did so did it at his own risk and the deadline was supposed to be June 30.
“Now we have extended it to Aug. 1, because we needed to go on appeal on the other matter.
“But right now, there is another judgment which says we can go on.
“So, while we are still waiting for the appeal we are going to go on with this other judgment.“
Justice Peter Umeadi of a Federal High Court in Anambra on June 30, had ruled in a suit filed by Chief Ajefo Ekwo challenging FRSC’s powers to enforce new drivers’ licence and number plate.
Umeadi said that the respondent’s directive to change old drivers’ licence and number plates to new was legal, valid, subsisting and in conformity with the FRSC’s 2007 Act and the National Road Traffic Regulations of 2012.
Nkwonta, however, said that the recent judgment had put aside the earlier judgment of the Lagos High Court ruling that the corps had no authority to produce and fix deadline for the documents.
The FRSC commander said that the earlier judgment was given in error and the commission would stand by the new judgment while appealing against the earlier judgment.
He said that the command had not failed to process the vehicle documents for new applicants that patronised the commission after the initial judgment.
Nkwonta said that all the registration centres and 18 additional work stations in all parts of Lagos were functional and the network was effective.
He said that the commission had improved in the processes as well as working at weekends to make it easy for applicants.
Justice John Tsoho of the Federal High Court in Lagos on March 26 declared that the FRSC had no legal authority to impose new number plates on motorists in the country.
The judge also held that “the ongoing exercise by the FRSC to replace the old number plate with a new one is illegal and unconstitutional because there is no law empowering it to carry out the exercise.’’
Justice Tsoho delivered the judgment in a suit filed by a Lagos-based lawyer, Mr Emmanuel Ofoegbu, against the FRSC.
In the suit, Ofoegbu had challenged the power of the commission to impound vehicles of motorists who failed to acquire the new number plates.
The plaintiff argued that there was no law validly made in accordance with the constitution prohibiting the use of the old number plates.
Meanwhile, Justice Umeadi declared that FRSC has power to impound any vehicle which fails to register for a new number plate and arrest any motorist who fails to obtain the new drivers’ licence.
He said that such offender should be prosecuted according to law as from Aug.1. (NAN) Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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the judge is an Ibo man who has been bribed by his fellow ibo man Chidozie. If FRSC is going to obey this latest "judgement" giving when judiciary is on strike, bcos it favours her, Nigerians shall obey the earlier one. blood of enforcers shall flow!!!
ReplyDeleteGod wl deliever us frm this people who wl just sit down and think how to embezzle the poor people in this country..i dont even undertsand the useless lawyer we are having in this country again
ReplyDeleteWhich kind lawyers we get for this country self some peoplw wl just sitdown somewhere and plan the way to embezzle the poor people na wa o
ReplyDelete"Impound", "judgment", "peril" ... Why doesn't this clown take up an executioner job in prison... Who employs these clowns who cannot put their point across without the language of threats and intimidation?? Very uncivilized!
ReplyDeleteJ.
Story, story, story, dis might serve as a catalyst to d long over due revolution in dis country. I see much blood flowing over this.
ReplyDeleteAnon 7:57, It is not likely that any blood in Lagos, most of the cars on the road already have the new plates, Without waiting for the Judgement, Nigerians have already gone ahead and acquired the new Number Plates just in case.
ReplyDeleteMadness!!!
ReplyDeleteWhere is the FG, he gas not said anything on this issue. This same idiots will retire tomorrow and be condeming the system when during their time they contributed by distroying it......what is the essence of the new driving licence and plate number....
ReplyDeleteArrangee!!! "Someone" Sues, Court rules in their favour and they hold onto the ruling because it is in their favour. The question I ask is, why are they still appealing if they say they have the right to implement? They should hold onto the latest and forget the appeal since they already have the right to implement. Their extortion business was getting very slow, so to fasttrack it, buy a new ruling in your favour while you wait for the outcome of the earlier appeal
ReplyDelete