FRSC DEBUNKS FOR THE UPTEENTH TIME SPECULATIONS ABOUT COURT JUDGEMENT CHALLENGING ITS STATUTORY POWERS.

There is a false speculation in the social media alleging that judgment by the Federal high Court Lagos presided by Justice James Tsoho was in favour of one Barrister Tope Alabi who challenged the powers of the Corps to impound his vehicle and make him pay fines in September 2014.

According to Bisi Kazeem, the same justice Tsoho also presided over similar case between one Bren Williams and Anor versus FRSC in favour of the Corps. The Judgment given at the time was that the Corps has the statutory powers to issue notice of offence, arrest and detain vehicles suspected to have been used to commit traffic offences.

The judgment of the court of appeal has put issues to rest that FRSC has powers to arrest, issue notice of offence to suspected violators and impound vehicles used to commit offences. Electing to pay the prescribed fines instead of challenging the notice of offence in court does not amount to usurpation of court powers. The imposition of fines for traffic offences is essential in our fragile society. It helps prune the number of drivers who commit offences with impunity. Therefore the public is informed that the plethora of decided cases where statutory powers conferred on FRSC by enabling laws have been held to be valid by the FRSC Act, 2007 and the National Road Traffic Regulations 2012 are validly made pursuant to 1999 constitution.

SOURCE: FRSC