By Nwaorgu Faustinus
The law establishing clamping of wheel of vehicle wrongly
parked along major roads and even some marked streets in Enugu metropolis came into operation in 2011.
This was later extended to some selected streets early this year.
The
major aim of the rule is to regulate the parking of cars along roads and
streets with a view to decongesting the roads and streets for easy and free
flow of traffic. Those who go contrary to this rule do have their vehicle plate
numbers removed and taken to the EASIPARK office for the defaulters to come and
collect them, after they
must have paid fine of N5,000 (five thousand naira).
And
if the defaulter is within close quarters where his or her car is wrongfully
parked and clamped, he or she has two or more options explore – to pay five
thousand instantly or later or have the car plate number removed and towed to
the EASIPARK office. This is the scenario which has
continued to play out since the law came into existence unfortunately to the disadvantage
of the common men who are mostly civilians and visitors who are unaware of the
existence of the rule.
As good as this initiative of the Mr Sullivan
Chime’s led administration is, it is important to note that there are some few
people who are alleged to be above this law. This ought not to be so as the law is
meant for everyone.
As
the rule of law entails and applies, no one is above the law no matter how
highly placed the person is in the society – every Tom, Dick and Harry should
be subjected to the same law. But this is a far cry as longer as observers of
the trend are concerned.
Is
there justice when a person who belongs to the military, paramilitary, a top
government official or Enugu State PDP bigwig goes contrary to this law and he
is left off the hook (that is without paying the fine) just because of his
status while his “bloody” civilian counterpart (pays) or is made to pay the
said fine. This was what happened around Mbanugo Bus Stop last month according
to an eyewitness who wouldn’t want his name mentioned in print.
According to the eye witness, an officer of
the military parked his car by the side of the road close to Mbanugo Bus Stop
without opening the “boot or bonnet” of his car, (because this is the only way
to avoid the wheel of your car from being clamp by EASIPARK officials) and
likewise his civilian counterpart, the duo went to nearby motor spare parts
dealers to make one purchase or the other, but when EASIPARK official arrived
at the scene where the two cars were wrongly parked, they let go of the
military man’s car because of his position and towed the civilian’s car. The
purported unfair application of this law especially to the ordinary man who has
no powerful connection to those at the helm of affairs in Enugu state should be addressed.
The above situation was akin to what happened
immediately the Enugu
State government passed
the law prohibiting the use of motorcycle, popularly known as “Okada” for
commercial and private transportation, to forestall the many disadvantages it
portends. As soon as Okada operation was banned, didn’t residents in Enugu metropolis notice
the use of motorcycle by policemen unchallenged while the ordinary people who
flouted the law had their motorcycle confiscated?
And
when public outcry heightened as to why uniform men (policemen) should use
their motorcycle to go to work, directive was immediately passed to all
formations to call their officers, men and personnel to order and this was
immediately carried out. Today in Enugu
according to reliable sources, it is uncommon to see lower as well as high
ranking military men or paramilitary men using their private motorcycles. No
doubt, this is how law should be applied.
The administration of Governor Sullivan Chime
should extend same law of wheel clamping to highly placed persons no matter
their status - cronies of the government in power, government officials,
policemen, military men etc. by fearlessly empowering EASIPARK officials to
clamp their cars when wrongly parked if he wants the public to take him
serious.
This
has become expedient to douse the air of above the law, intimidation and
superiority the above persons have which make EASIPARK officials to fidget,
develop servant attitude, sudden inferiority complex at the sight of such military men,
policemen, government officials among others and cowardly recoil from clamping
their vehicle wheels. Governor Sullivan, local government chairmen and those
they have given power to enforce this law should borrow a leaf from Fashola, Lagos State
governor who arrested a colonel and a staff sergeant not too long ago for
violating road rules and regulation. If
this leaf is borrowed, it will reinforce the perception of the general public
that there are no sacred cows in the application of the law.
It is therefore one thing to make such law as
the aforementioned and another to provide car parks at strategic places known
to be heavily congested with vehicles to ease free flow of traffic. Marking a
particular portion of the road mainly for parking cars and erecting “no
parking” signposts are not enough.
It
is the humble suggestion of this writer to the Enugu State government and local
government chairmen whose influence is in the metropolis to build car parks at
strategic places known to be congested with cars not only for commercial
vehicle owners but also private car owners as this will serve as a revenue
generating venture for the state government or local government.
The
Enugu State government should spread information about its “wheel clamping”
policy to every nook and cranny by exploring the following avenues ; churches, mosques, schools, town
criers, social media, online media websites and blog spots, radio, newspapers and magazines. It is
when this is done that many who would have been penalized for violating the law
will be fully aware of it and obeys it.
Nwaorgu Faustinus writes from Igboetche, Port
Harcourt, Rivers State.
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