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Enugu residents react to ban on tinted glasses by state government
The Residents of Enugu State have continued to react to the recent ban on tinted glasses for vehicles plying state roads by the state government.
The ban was announced through a memo signed by Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. Chidiebere Onyia.
In separate interviews with NAN on Wednesday in Enugu, some legal experts expressed different views on the legal implications of the pronouncement and it’s work-ability.
A civil rights lawyer, Olu Omotayo, said that the pronouncement was unimplementable because it was not backed by any law.
“It remains a mere pronouncement by the executive, it has no backing of the law and therefore cannot be implemented by the state government.
“It is the constitutional responsibility of the Nigeria Police Force to ban the use of tinted glasses, ” he said.
According to him, the task force set up by the state do not have the legal power to either prosecute or fine offenders.
Also speaking, a constitutional lawyer, John Nwobodo, said the state had the right to put measures in place to check insecurity in the state.
He, however, said that the issue of tinted glasses, by law, was the sole responsibility of the Inspector General of Police (IGP).
“It will be difficult to implement that law because it is only the IGP that can take that responsibility.
“The state can only succeed if they co-opt the security into it but it will be difficult to implement at the state level,” he said.
He said the constitution required that offenders be charged to the Federal High Court, which the task force lacked the powers.
Another resident, Mr Ignatius Orji, said that the pronouncement was ambiguous and very difficult to implement without the legal instruments by the State House of Assembly.
“It will bring confusion and a lot of people will resist it due to it’s flimsy nature.
“I am certain that many lawyers will challenge it’s implementation in court,” he said.
Orji advised the state government to collaborate with the IGP , to fine tune whatever plans it had to check insecurity in the state.
The Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN has warned against obstructing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from carrying out its lawful duty .
Fagbemi’s warning is contained in a statement in Abuja.
“This is a matter of very grave concern, it is now beyond doubt that the EFCC is given power by the law to invite any person of interest to interact with them in the course of their investigations into any matter, regardless of status.
“Therefore, the least that we can all do when invited, is not to put any obstruction in the way of EFCC, but to honourably answer their invitation.
“A situation where public officials who are themselves subject of protection by law enforcement agents will set up a stratagem of obstruction to the civil and commendable efforts of the EFCC to perform its duty is to say the least, insufferably disquieting’’.
He added that running away from the law will not resolve issues at stake but only exacerbate them.
“Nigeria has a vibrant judicial system that is capable of protecting everyone who follows the rule of law in seeking protection.
“I therefore encourage anyone who has been invited by the EFCC or any other agency to immediately toe the path of decency and civility by honouring such invitation instead of embarking on a temporising self-help and escapism.
“This can only put our country in bad light before the rest of the world’’.
He said institutions of state should be allowed to function effectively and efficiently.
“I stand for the rule of law and will promptly call EFCC, and indeed any other agency to order when there is an indication of any transgressions of the fundamental rights of any Nigerian by any of the agencies’’.
NAN reports that the EFCC had on Wednesday warned members of the public that it was a criminal offence to obstruct officers of the Commission from carrying out their lawful duties.
Section 38(2)(a(b) of the EFCC Establishment Act makes it an offence to prevent officers of the Commission from carrying out their lawful duties. Culprits risk a jail term of not less than five years.
The warning , the EFCC said, became necessary against the background of the increasing tendency by persons and groups under investigation by the Commission to take the laws into their hands by recruiting thugs to obstruct lawful operations of the EFCC.
On several occasions, the anti graft agency said, operatives of the Commission have had to exercise utmost restraint in the face of such provocation to avoid a breakdown of law and order.
Some unknown gunmen have kidnapped Joshua Rogers, the ChannelsTV reporter in Port-Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
Politics Nigeria learnt that Rogers was picked up close to his residence at Rumuosi in Port Harcourt and to an unknown destination by the gunmen around 9pm on Thursday, April 11.
The reporter was driving his official ChannelsTV branded car when the hoodlums accosted, pointed a gun at him and took him away in the same vehicle.
Rogers was said to be returning from his official assignment in Government House after a trip to Andoni for a government event when the incident happened.
Already, the gunmen were said to have contacted his wife and demanded a N30million ransom for bis release.
His cameraman confirmed the incident and appealed to his abductors to set him free unconditionally.
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