The Lagos State Government has
debunked reports alleging that the state governor, Babatunde Fashola ordered
his police escorts to manhandle the driver and children of Felix Morka, the
Executive Director of the Social and Economic Rights Action Centre (SERAC)
during a traffic incident on Tuesday 26th March.
A statement signed by a government spokesman, Hakeem Bello said “the premise
and the content of the message are completely false.”
Explaining what happened on that day, the statement said “On the
aforementioned date, at around 3pm, the Governor was returning from a Security
meeting at the headquarters of the State Security Service (SSS) through CMD
Road in the Magodo area when his convoy and other road users got blocked by a
man who had driven his Jeep with Registration number KU 549 KJA against the
flow of traffic. The identity of the owner was later established to be Felix
Morka.
“The gentleman in question had contravened a traffic law by
vacating his own lane and driving against oncoming traffic. This had resulted
in him blocking other road users, including the Governor’s convoy, from
progressing on their journey. After about two minutes, in which the driver
bluntly refused to reverse and move to his own side of the road as politely
requested by the Police escorts, the Governor instructed his Aide-de-Camp to
investigate what was going on.
“Mr. Felix Morka’s driver was immediately arrested by the
Policemen. He was charged to court on Wednesday 27th March as is the norm for
such traffic offences.
“At no point were the occupants of Mr. Felix Morka’s vehicle
harassed or molested. Mr. Morka’s claim that his driver’s arrest was connected
to his criticism of this administration is laughable. No one in the convoy knew
who he was at the point the vehicle he was in was driven against the normal
flow of traffic, the reasons for his driver’s arrest were due to a clear
contravention of a well-known law. Further, photographic and video evidence are
available which will be used in the prosecution.”
Tags
Politics
This story doesn't seem right to me. We all know how much Nigerian motorists fear policemen simply because of their ruthlessness and the way they can frame up stories against anyone they want to deal with. If truly the policemen attached to the Governor's had actually politely told him to turn,he would have done so even without knowing that they are the governor's escort. Again I don't believe the policemen would have spoken to him politely seeing that (1)he had contravened a traffic law (2) he was obstructing the governor. Pls who's decieving who?
ReplyDeleteI want to believe the official report. You may want to fimd out from Lagosians the kind of personality Fasola has! He's not the kind that will allow any terrorisation by people in his convoy. It may interest you to know that he has no siren blaring escort neither do they clear road ahead for him!!! It may also interest you to know that the drivers of these big men in Nigeria behave as untouchables. The salient question is: was the driver driving against the traffic? Forget about police asking him (politely or otherwise) to trun back! Were was his administration-critic boss, when the driver was contrvening the law?
DeleteThat is a good one. Good thinking.
ReplyDeleteYou are right dear
ReplyDeleteWhether his boss criticised fashola or not doesn't give him d right 2 drive against traffic
ReplyDeleteIt shld be well investigated. The Govr I know wldnt ask for sb to be brutalised.Did d driver drive against traffic? If he did too bad, policemen,whether with the Govr or not will never ask anything politely,pressmen do ur job.
ReplyDeleteLet d law take its cause.
ReplyDeleteThe matter need to be investigated very well. But if the driver actaully contraven any traffik rules, then the law shld take its place. The man shld be dealt with accordingly the driver and his boss shld note that nobody in whatever capacity(big man) is above the law. I like to use this opportunity to wish nigerians happy easter in advance.
ReplyDeleteCMD road now one way? Since when? Vacate his own lane, is there anything blocking his own lane before vacating to join the other lane? The jeep blocked the road, under what circumstance?
ReplyDeleteI think this story is not telling it all, I suspect something.
Average Nigerian motorists are impatient. I want to believe the government side of the story. Are those people on the right lane (waiting for their turn) fools? I know how they drive once there is traffic. They will always want to overtake others so that they can go and enter at the front. In the cause of doing this, they block the on-coming vehicles. Which I think is the case here. Whoever he is let him face the law. Nobody should be above the law. - Andy Odion.
ReplyDelete