November 26, 2020
This one-way and issue of forfeiture in Lagos state is likely going to end up being a tool for oppression - Claudia.
We are quick to introduce laws without weighing in on all sides of the matter first to identify loopholes and tighten all lose ends to ensure that the law can be sustained.
Forfeiture for way-one way traffic offense is good only if government had first put in the work of marking routes and installing cameras. If not, how do they intend to prove these cases?
Perhaps they do not intend to prove anything, they just want to seize and auction cars.
Anything to make the masses cry out!
Who are the advisers of government?
LASG putting people like the (existing) LASTMA and FRSC officials who would almost strangle a passenger over seatbelt offense, who would jump on moving vehicles to prove a point or beat a driver to coma just to flex power is a dangerous move.
Where there are no clearly marked or labelled roads and CCTV cameras to prove the law has been broken, how does LASG hope to prove a one-way crime has been committed?
If it's up to the officials who would probably be working to meet target and might be directing unsuspecting motorists to their doom for promotion and other job benefits, then how is this progress!
These same officials who might even go as far as setting someone up and turning their cars in, over a mere "girlfriend snatching" issue?
In this Nigeria, with the current structure, some of the laws being made are clearly flawed.
You set up a mobile court where its is the words of the officials (and probably, arranged witnesses) against the accused. How do you determine real cases or even ensure fairness?
There was an existing one year imprisonment
(1st offenders) and 3 years imprisonment
(repeated offender) who drive against traffic. If this law was really enforced whatever prompted this new law could have been averted.
Why do we need new laws where there are existing laws? Why are the existing laws not working? How does the new law solve the problem? These are the things that government should be communicating to us if really, the homework had been done.
Assuming driving against traffic is a common road offense, wouldn't it be more reasonable to do first things first?
Where government and agencies of government "place the cart before the horse" at the end of the day they are anti-people. If not, why do we set out to cause pain instead of seeking real solutions to problems.
Must everything in Nigeria be about instilling fear and pain upon the people?
In curing a headache, do you cut off the head?
The right thing is to put infrastructures in place then use laws and enforcement to sustain them. In this case, labell all routes/roads and install cameras to do the job.
Even where the roads are clearly marked, you have to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the offense was truly committed (use cameras) before punishment can be justified.
You cannot put so much powers in the hands of LASTMA and FRSC officials and expect that there wont be problems.
It's only a matter of time before an innocent man's car is taken away for no just cause. Only a matter of time, before the people begin to wage war against the officials and government would be forced to review or abandon the law (when the right thing should have been done abinitial).
I ask again, who are these anti-people government advisers? Is it so hard to think through issues, debate them, gather ideas before jumping to make laws?
If it was debated, does it mean that nobody saw the loopholes or even raised questions about the enforcement tactics and sustainability of this law?
Its always almost as if the government is structured to break the people when infact it should be serving the people. If we're keeping it real, this one-way forfeiture law is highly unnecessary and not justified.
How we make spontaneous decisions and laws and expect to make progress as a nation beats me.
