By Emperor Iwuala, 08037247295
Section 3(1) of the Imo State Law No. 9 of 1982 provides that ‘No person shall leave an OBSTRUCTION … at any time of the day and night on any road or highway in Imo State. Sub Section 2 of the same section provides for =N200 fine or imprisonment of not more than six months or both to any offender of this section of the state law.
Section 4 of the same law provides that where an obstruction is left on a road or highway an authorized person is obliged to cause the obstruction to be swiftly removed. The law also provides for fine and term of imprisonment for any person who obstructs an authorized person who comes to remove the obstruction. See Section 3(3)) (supa).
Accordingly, the cost of removing such obstruction is to be recovered from the person responsible for leaving the obstruction on the road or highway. See section 5 (supra).
In a related enactment, Section 6 Column 2 No. 18 of the Imo State Mobile Court Edict also provides for fine and imprisonment for causing an OBSTRUCTION on public highway.
Interestingly, all the road traffic laws applicable in the state define ‘high way’ or ‘public highway’ as to include any road to which the public have access or right of way.
However, not withstanding the above legal provisions, it could still be observed that many people in Imo State erect very dangerous illegal bumps or speed breaks on unauthorized places on many roads in the state. These group of people wait for government to spend so much money to build roads and thereafter, they contribute money to buy cement, sand and stones to erect very high and unsafe speed breaks on roads.
Regrettably, throughout the state, none of these illegal structures has a single cautionary road signs that can alert unsuspecting road users of the existence of such structures. These structures become death traps to motorists and other road users especially during night hours and periods of bad light.
Consequently, many people have lost their lives to such an illegal act.
Furthermore, not only that these structures impede free and enjoyable movement of vehicles, their height and the materials used in constructing them constantly damage vehicles.
On the other hand, these indiscriminate illegal structures in the name of speed-breaks also facilitate the activities of high way criminals like armed robbers and kidnappers as these criminals wait for road users at the very spots these bumps are erected knowing full well that the road users must be forced to slow down their movement at such points. Accordingly, many road users have died or fallen into the hands of many criminals because of this.
The other day, I was going to Amaraku Customary Court in Isiala Mbano from Ahiazu Mbaise. I rode through Afor Oru-Obollo Isiala Mbano road. I encountered a total of 45 illegal speed breaks on the road which is not up to 20 kilometres. Virtually every compound on that route has a speed break in front of it. Some of the bumps are not up to 100 meters from others. A journey that ordinarily would have taken 30 minutes now takes up to 2 hours courtesy of indiscriminate illegal speed breaks on that road.
Other routes with death traps are the newly constructed Ekemmegbuoha-Emekuku-Mission Road in Owerri North L.G.A, Mbutu-Chokoneze Mbaise (NNDC-Built) Road, Umunama-Akpodim-Ife Road in Ezinihitte Mbaise, Aboh Junction-Itu Ezinihitte Road, St John’s Anglican Church Road Area ‘N’ World-bank New Owerri, Umuowa Road off Orlu Road in Orlu L.G.A, Achingali-Umuezegwu-Oriagu Road etc.
Be that as it may, it is now an irony that journeys are easier and safer on dilapidated roads than an asphalted one. The essence of spending tax-payers money to build roads is for the roads to guarantee free, quick and safe movement for the users. The aim of rehabilitating and asphalting roads will be completely defeated if people erect illegal and dangerous structures on them.
Regrettably, the state governor, all government officials and security agents who have the responsibility of checking this abuse always see these illegal structures and sometimes meet the people erecting them in the state but are not responsible enough to stop this life-snuffing menace.
However, the only reason given by those who erect these illegal obstructions on public roads in the state is that many motorists over-speed and sometimes, injure or kill some of their people and livestock.
Nevertheless, in as much as this reason is well appreciated yet, it should not be the reason why people should unlawfully cause the death of others while trying to protect their own lives. ‘It is not good robbing Peter to pay Paul’.
Therefore, there must be a check in this vein in order to strike a balance.
People should therefore learn how to build their houses away from roads and prospective public ways. Secondly, those whose houses are close to some public ways should live with great caution and alertness always appreciating the danger of living close to the roads. They should also refrain from engaging in activities that will bring them close to the roads. Furthermore, both the government and the leaders in some of the communities that live very close to the roads should carry out periodic awareness programmes that will orientate people on how to live safely in such danger prone areas. On the other hand, motorists should always observe the stipulated low speed limits according to the relevant traffic regulations when navigating on such areas. Such places include market squares, schools, sharp bends, hospitals, hills, bridges, churches etc. Further, people who may become victims of recklessness by motorists on such roads may apply to government for authorized speed-breaks which will carry cautionary road signs at certain approved spots. It is also advisable for government to relocate those who live very closely to public ways. It should also refrain from constructing public roads in such areas if there are alternative roads with lesser human inhabitation.
Therefore, it is the writer’s opinion that people should stop erecting bumps on roads in Imo State without government approval and should immediately dismantle the illegal ones already erected. Members of the public should also see it as a duty to report construction of illegal bumps on roads to the relevant authorities.
On the other hand, the state government should be very much alive to its responsibility by protecting our roads from becoming death traps. Therefore, the State Ministry of Transport or the relevant government agency should without delay, make sure that illegal bumps and speed-breaks on roads in the state are dismantled. Thereafter, approved safer speed-breaks with corresponding road signs may be erected by government where necessary.
Finally, the state government should always be proactive in preventing construction of illegal speed breaks and continued defaulters should be apprehended and made to face the law accordingly as life they say has no duplicate.
