By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The Oyo State Road Transport Management Authority (OYRTMA) has maintained that the owner of a fallen container along Efunsetan Roundabout, Challenge, Ibadan, the state capital, one Mr Abdul-Mumeen, must pay fines for violating the state’s traffic law.
In a statement issued on Friday, the chairman of the agency, Mr Akin Fagbemi, said no amount of intimidation would deter the organisation from enforcing the law.
Recall that for about three weeks, the fallen container obstructed the flow of traffic in the area, causing members of the public to criticise the government for not taking action to ease the hardship they were being subjected to.
According to the OYRTMA chief, his organisation had to seek the cooperation of the police and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to remove the container on March 30, 2023.
In the statement issued today, the agency said that shortly after the container was evacuated, the owner came up and promised to do the needful, especially paying for the cost of the removal.
Mr Fagbemi said his organisation insisted that apart from paying for the costs of hiring a privately-owned crane and low-bed, Mr Abdul-Mumeen was asked to pay a fine of N1 million for sections 16 (a,b,c,p) and 17 (d) of the Oyo State Road Traffic Management Authority Law 2009.
However, he expressed surprise that the President of the Council of Maritime Truck Unions and Associations (COMTUA), Mr Adeyinka Aroyewun, alleged the agency of demanding the payment of N850,000 into a private account.
In the statement, Mr Fagbemi alleged that Mr Aroyewun “on Wednesday, April 12, 2022, visited OYRTMA’s administrative headquarters in an attempt to influence the release of the container, claiming he is a revered member and stalwart of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State and as such has a close personal relationship with Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, boasting that he will subsequently secure the release of the container without the payment of statutory fines and charges slammed against the owners.”
But Mr Fagbemi stressed that, “No amount of intimidation or interference will stop the authority from executing its constitutional responsibilities of ensuring safety on all roads in Oyo State and issuing fines to defaulting groups or individuals to serve as a deterrent to others.
“If you so much love the public of whom sympathy you now seek, you would not have allowed your member to jeopardize the lives and properties of the people of Oyo State for such a long time.
“As a matter of fact, you will not only pay service charges to the owners of the crane and low-bed equipment used in removing the container; you will also pay the sum of N1 million as an official fine for contravening sections 16 and 17 of the Oyo State Road Traffic Management Authority Law, 2009.
“In addition, you will pay in full for the damages caused to the body and properties of those innocent road users whose vehicles were damaged in crashes caused by the abandoned container. This is Oyo State. We have laws guiding us and our operations.”
Meanwhile, Business Post could not reach Mr Aroyewun or Mr Abdul-Mumeen for comments on the issue.
