By Nsan Ndoma-Neji, Calabar
Sector Commander of the Cross River State Command of the Federal Road Safety Corp, FRSC, Mr. Istifanus Ibrahim, has warned against driving without obeying traffic regulations.
The sector commander advised motorists in the state to be abreast of traffic regulations so as not to violate traffic rules.
Istifanus gave the warning while answering questions from journalists in his office in Calabar yesterday.
He stated that acquisition of accurate and valid particulars was a step in the right direction, stressing that there were still other rules like traffic light which motorist need to obey.
The FRSC sector commander averred that there were several other offences motorists usually commit while on the road, but feel because they possessed accurate papers they can break traffic regulations.
Emphasizing on the need to possess the traffic regulations book at their finger tips, the sector commander averred that being abreast with traffic regulations can help motorists not to be at loggerheads with officials of the FRSC in the course of carrying out their assigned duties on the highways.
He further maintained that the FRSC does not manufacture traffic offences in order to get motorists victimized, charging motorists not to break traffic rules, only to turn around and apportion blame to FRSC officials doing their lawful duty.
He said, “The issue is not always about having papers that are intact, but obeying traffic regulations.
“It is not vehicle papers that we enforce, but traffic rules. The biggest challenge we have in the state is that motorists feel because they have valid papers, they can ignore the rules.
“Others think we manufacture offences, but we don’t manufacture offences and there is need to be abreast with the rules, as nobody is immune from them.
“If you commit an offence of the use of phone, for instance, while driving and we see that your vehicle papers are intact and your driver’s license is valid, you will definitely be booked, because it’s an offence.”
He further informed that once a motorist obeys the traffic rules, it helps the Corps to offer better service than to emphasize that vehicle papers are intact.
He averred that vehicle papers are only collected as collateral, adding that it will enable the offender return to pay the fine.
The sector commander maintained that where the papers are no longer valid, the vehicle will be impounded and owner made to pay a fine before the impounded vehicle can be released to the owner.
Ibrahim stated further that there is no provision in the law which states that vehicles of highly placed individuals should not be booked or impounded when they commit traffic infractions.
The sector commander stated that equality before the law is what the command stands for, adding, “Ours is equality before the law. If an offender has opportunity to reach out to someone and he begs on his behalf, it is not a right but a privilege.”
