The House of Representatives on Wednesday mandated the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and Nigerian Police to enforce the law on the use of sirens and clamp down on all those who are not entitled to use sirens for necessary sanctions to serve as deterrents.
The resolution was passed as a sequel to the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Jesse OkeyJoe Onuakalusi, who frowned at the flagrant disregard for existing laws and regulations.
In his lead debate, Hon. Onuakalusi, who underscored the need for enforcement of existing regulations, lamented that criminals always take undue advantage to unleash fear and terror on society, enhanced by this indiscriminate use of the siren.
He said: “The House notes that the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) is mandated by the Federal Road Safety Commission Act, 2007 to regulate the use of sirens, flashes, and beacon lights on vehicles belonging to the Armed Forces, Nigerian Police, and other paramilitary agencies.
“The House also notes that Section 5 of the same Act, Regulation 154 of the National Road Traffic Regulations 2012, specifies those entitled to the use of sirens, viz., the president, the Vice President, the Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Chief Justice of the Federation, the Deputy Senate President, the Deputy Speaker, the State Governors, and the Deputy Governors.
“The House is aware that in the case of emergencies, the military. Nigerian Police and Paramilitary Agencies. Fire services and ambulances are allowed to drive on public roads using sirens.
“The House is concerned that the abuse of the siren often disrupts the free flow of traffic with devastating effects on the economy due to the loss of man-hours at gridlocks, while the affected communities often suffer disruption to their businesses and exposure to attacks by hoodlums during long hours of gridlocks, as well as the noise pollution occasioned by the indiscriminate use of the siren.
“The House is worried about the disregard for road traffic rules and regulations and its negative impact on the image of the country to prospective investors as Nigeria is portrayed as a lawless country.
“The House observes that criminals always take undue advantage to unleash fear and terror on society, enhanced by this indiscriminate use of the siren.
“The House also observes that the abuse has negatively impacted appropriate security assessment as it is difficult to distinguish between the officials entitled to sirens and imposters,” he noted.
To this end, the House urged FRSC management and the Nigerian Police to enforce the law on the use of sirens on Nigerian roads and clamp down on all those who are not entitled to use sirens for necessary sanctions to serve as deterrents.
The lawmakers also mandated the joint committees on the Federal Road Safety Commission and Police Affairs to ensure compliance.