Commercial drivers, especially those that ply inter-city routes from Calabar, the Cross River State capital, staged a protest, calling on the federal government, and the Cross River State Government to stop the frequent use of mobile courts at the only highway that leads to other states in the South –south and the South-east states.
The commercial drivers who trooped out in their hundreds to the Calabar-Itu-Ikot-Ekpene section of the federal highway complained that they have been suffering serious molestation and extortion from the Federal Roads Safety Commission (FRSC) who have been mounting a mobile court for months now through which they perpetrate various acts of corruption and illegality.
Protesting under the aegis of the Cross River State Intercity Drivers Association (CRIDA), the commercial drivers pulled their vehicles of the road and withdrew their services in protest against the two mobile courts mounted by the FRSC, and the Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIOs) usually mounted along the Pamol stretch of the federal Highway, and parliamentary extension close to North-west filling station.
Secretary of the Association of the protesting drivers, Mr. Ephraim Emmanuel, who explained why they had to embark on the peaceful protest said: "We are drivers comprising all the 18 LGAs (Local Government Associations) in Cross River State. Today, we are carrying out a protest concerning the daily Road Safety Mobile Court and VIO Mobile Court here in Cross River state. Drivers are very angry.
"For the past three years they have been conducting this court two times in a week, and drivers are being molested by road safety, and even the touts. They booked my vehicle asking me to pay about N91,000 on Friday, and they seized the vehicle, which is parked there at the Road Safety Office.
They told me that each of the vehicles is having interest of N6000. We have been sending letters to His Excellency, Chief VIO, Road Safety, but nothing has been done.
"We are not stopping them from doing their job, but let it be at the normal time. They are supposed to give members of the public notice. We are pleading with state government that they should temper justice with mercy, and take into consideration our matter.
"Things are difficult, price of ticket was reduced from N1, 700 to N500, and this year the agents who are acting on behalf of government, have increased the price of the ticket again to N650 for various taxation for Calabar South, Calabar municipality and others.
"Today we are doing protest and we were at North West Petrol station where they usually stand to molest us. If the government does not address these issues, next time the action will be serious."
Following the protest from the drivers, most commuters at some parks in Calabar who intended travelling out of town were stranded as there were no vehicles for them to travel with.
Commenting on the protest, the Head of the VIO in the state, Mr. Paul Bepeh, said they did not mount any mobile court on yesterday.
"The mobile court today was not our own, but that of the federal agency even though my men participated," he said.
Bepeh said that usually the VIO mounts their mobile court only once in a month.
"We don’t need to give anybody notice, otherwise the essence of the whole check will be defeated because on that day, defaulters will just park their vehicles and will not come out.
“We do this because the carnage on our high way is high, and some of these vehicles are not in good condition," he explained.
He accused the protesting drivers of disrupting the mobile court, stressing that two persons have been arrested and would be prosecuted soon. Commenting on the protest, the State FRSC Commandant, Mr. Chidi Nkwonta said: "The drivers did not have problem with my men and we did not have a mobile court today, and they did not talk to any of my men. We had a meeting with representatives of intercity drivers who came to plead that we should reduce the frequency of mobile court, and we have agreed to reduce the frequency."
The FRSC Commandant, however, stated that they refused to grant the request of the drivers that they should be placed on notice whenever the corp intends to stage its mobile court.
"They cannot give us such condition and mobile court is a creation of law, and we only agreed to reduce the frequency because they pleaded passionately that things are hard and of course we recognise that laws are made for human beings, and not human beings for law. So, we don't want the society to groan that the law is oppressing them," he said.
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