By Ikhili Ebalu, Benin City
Wife of the Majority Leader, Edo State House of Assembly (EDHA), Mrs. Roland Asoro, on Tuesday reportedly battered a staff of Edo State Traffic Management Agency (EDSTMA) over alleged traffic violation.
Eye witness account revealed that trouble started when the woman pounced on the traffic official simply identified as ‘Osazuwa’ after the official flagged her down for contravening traffic rules and regulations in Benin City.
The EDSMA official who was in the line of duty at the time of the assault was said to have parked the lawmaker,s wife car and set to book and impound the vehicle, when the woman hurled insult on him, followed by an heated argument which ensued and degenerated to free for all.
The scene caught the attention of other traffic officials who immediately joined their colleague’s to ensure she was booked for the offence and her vehicle officially impounded.
It was gathered that the vehicle, a Mercedes Benz SUV bearing official number plate of the State government with Registration number :Edo State Legislature: ED 03. caused serious traffic gridlock on Sallah Day on the busy Sapele Road, after the lawmaker’s wife resisted move by the EDSTMA officials to impounded her SUV .
Sources at the scene said Asoro’s wife however made some phone calls and got some unidentified persons who joined her and subdued the EDSTMA officials while Osazuwa, the victim of the assault remained in her car and was allegedly driven way to unknown destination in Benin.
Eye witness said, that Osazuwa was reportedly further assaulted and had his uniform thorn after he was said to have been rescued by a good Samaritan who took him to an undisclosed hospital for medical treatment.
Angered by the development, leadership of Edo State Civil society organizations (EDSCO’s), reacting to the alleged assault of the state traffic officer has demanded for the resignation of the Managing Director of Edo State Management Agency, EDSTMA Mr. Oloriegnebe and the lawmaker, representing Orhionmwon II constituency, Mr. Roland Asoro, whose wife was alleged to have assaulted the traffic official for defending injustice. .
A statement jointly endorsed by the Coordinator-General of EDOCSO’s, Leftist Omobude Agho and the Public Relations Officer, Comrade Osazee Edigin, on Tuesday night, challenged EDSTMA Boss to show proof of payment of fine by the lawmaker or his wife, else, the organization will not hesitate to approach the court to seek redress if the alleged perpetrators are not punished and encourage his Constituents to activate his recall.
“Citizens are being taken to EDSTMA offices helplessly and made to pay fines when they flout traffic laws and regulations, we see no reason the wife of a lawmaker whose husband made same law should be allowed to disobey the law and being aided by her husband with impunity.
“To this end, we are giving the MD of EDSTMA, 48 hours to publicly show to Edo people receipt of payment in government coffers by the offender or we shall resist further apprehension of Edo people who violates traffic rules by officials of EDSTMA. Nobody is above the law, moreso, this is coming from the wife of a lawmaker”, he said.
The lawmaker, Roland Osaro who represents Orhiomwon south Constituency in the State House of Assembly and his wife, Mrs. Asoro didn’t answer calls put across to his phone as at the time of filling this report.
It would be recalled that the Edo state government recently warned motorists to adhere to directive against indiscriminate parking or risk sanctions in a new drive to sanitise major roads and public spaces.
Edo State Government in a statement signed by secretary to the State Government, Osarodion Ogie Esq., said the warning became necessary to restore sanity on major roads and protect the lives of residents, who are exposed to danger when some motorists flout government directives and constitute nuisance on major roads and highways with indiscriminate parking.
According to him, “Those who continue to flout the rule will face corresponding sanctions. This move is to restore sanity to our major roads and also protect the lives of our people who are endangered by the unruly conduct of some motorists, who park, drop and pick passengers indiscriminately.”
Ogie maintained that the move was in line with the Project Clean Up Edo campaign, through which the state government engenders respect for law and order, cleanliness and sanity in public spaces across the state.
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