Judiciary misinterpretation: Imo Transport Commissioner Dr Chika Benson Abazu Saying Fed. High Court Abuja Judgement Imo State Vehicle Inspection Unit Not Affected.
Chigozie Marquis
The Commissioner for Transport Imo State Dr Chika Benson Abazu has proof his incompetent and incapacitation to handle the Ministry only focuses on his personal benefits as he eyes 2027 Federal House of Representative seat.
An Imo State based Legal Luminary Barr. Ikem Nzenwa Reacting to the current press release from the Commissioner Abazu excluding the State from the October 2, Judgment banning nationwide operations of vehicle Inspections Officers intimidations, harassment and extortion of vehicle owners a job that was given to the Federal Road Safety Corp by erroneously quoting the law No 14 2011′ which gave power and establishment of Imo State Traffic Management Authority(ISTMA) for the enforcement and establishment of VIO said that the commissioner is a novice and myopic to the enabling laws in the State Transport Sector and needs to be educated on his work.
He challenged the Commissioner Abazu to provide a law that reinstate VIO in Imo State.
According to Nzenwa, VIO Imo State is not only illegal with no officers as those on the roads are only hirings touts used for the extortion, intimidations and obstructions of vehicle movement in the State to gather money for the Commissioner and his cohort (one Chuks Okwaraejiaku Babanture) in his quest to attend his political height to contest the 2027 Ideato Federal Constituency seat a feat he tried in 2023 election and failed woefully.
Bringing to the Commissioner Abazu, his earlier release as his personal opinion as VIO has remained a brain child of the Federal Government established in FCT Abuja and any other State that followed Same just made a copy and should be legally binding on the recent Federal High Court judgment banning nationwide operations of the outfit.
It’s pertinent to note that a Competent Court in Asaba Delta State has equally given same judgement banning the Operation of the VIO on the road.
According to the State Commissioner, Abazu, In his October 10, 2024, Press release stated that “The attention of the Imo State Ministry of Transport has been drawn to a Federal High Court judgment in Abuja barring the Directorate of Vehicle Inspection Services (VIO) in the FCT from further stopping vehicles on the road, impounding or confiscating vehicles, and imposing fines on traffic violators.
The Ministry has been inundated with calls and inquiries on whether the VIO in Imo State is affected by the judgment and its implication for the operations of the VIO in the State.
It is therefore imperative to state as follows:
1. The judgement in question was delivered in Abuja and therefore lacks jurisdictional effect in Imo State. The question is is there any law to enable the State operates the VIO?.
2. The motif of the judgment of FHC/ABJ/CS/1695/2023 was the lack of an operational law on which basis the VIO operated in the Federal Capital Territory.
3) The Vehicle Inspection Unit in Imo State operates under the statutory mandate of the Ministry of Transport and the Imo State Transport Administration Law No.14 2011 as a Unit in the Ministry of Transport Imo State. This law according to Barr Nzenwa is only meant for Traffic Management and not VIO
The law defined what constitutes Traffic Violations and Offences. It also stipulates penalties and fines payable in the case of violations as a deterrent to ensure the safety of our roads and road users.
3. In view of the above, the judgement of the Federal High Court Abuja on VIO operations is not applicable in Imo State and of no effect. This is a total falsehood as Imo State adopted VIO from Abuja and has no Staff only working with hirings and adhoc officers.
Imolites and indeed all road users in the State are advised to continue to abide by the extant State laws governing Traffic Management in the State to ensure safety on our roads as we strive to improve the experience of road users in our dear State, Imo.
To this end the Commissioner Abazu and his Permanent Secretary, Chief Abimbola Ogunseye and their Contractor Chief Chuks Okwaraejiaku Babanture should note that the Court will take it’s effects on them for trying to malign her integrity and insisted to illegally used disbanded individuals to enforce traffic management laws in the State as there was no enabling laws empowering to do VIO jobs in Imo State.
