Insights From The “No Dey Give, Follow Traffic Rules” Project
Obinna Nwagbara is the Founder and Chief Executive of the Youth and Students Advocates for Development (YSAD) Initiative. In describing himself he says, “When I believe in a cause, I never give up”. Starting as a student movement at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, the organization is concerned with building networks and social movements that will help usher in the much-desired social change in Nigeria through training, public awareness programmes, research and dialogue. In this interview, he shares perspectives on how law enforcement agencies can work with citizens to end police extortion on Nigerian roads. Currently implementing the “No Dey Give, Follow Traffic Rules” project funded by Voice Nigeria, YSAD seeks an end to police extortion against road users within the SouthEast region through sensitization and facilitating the strategic partnership between citizens and security agents. A dream come true for the team would be “to get the commitment of police and other law enforcement agencies in addressing the problem of extortion of motorists in Southeastern Nigeria specifically in Imo and Abia States where they are currently implementing the project. Extortion on the road is a reality that the average Nigerian can identify with. Therefore it was imperative for the YSAD team to raise awareness and understand the background of this issue by interacting with motorists and other road users. One of the first startling revelations that the YSAD team encountered is that many motorists do not know that it is unlawful for any law enforcement officer to demand money from them on the road nor do they understand how this relates to their human rights. The other side of the coin is that they also do not seem to realize that it is illegal for them to disregard traffic rules and drive without having the updated required documentation in place. In the cause of interactions, when asked if he had papers, one road user remarked while laughing, “Papers? I no get papers o! License? Who dey even use license sef? When asked what shocking moments he has encountered in the course of implementing this project, Obinna shares a few. For him, it was shocking to see the number of motorists that took the issue of updated papers very casually. “Another thing was the amount of child labour we saw. We found many underaged children less than 18 who, rather than being in school, are busy “hustling” for a daily income to support their families”. He noted that many young people do not want to learn a trade anymore but would rather become keke drivers, bike riders and bus conductors for this reason. He was also confronted with the fact that motorists and road users were oblivious to what their human rights are and how to demand them. In terms of gender, they were surprised to see quite a number of women in the sector. However, in terms of law enforcement agencies, they are pleased to see the leadership being represented by female officers at their workshops. Similarly, the State Directors of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in both Abia and Imo are women. Mr Nwagbara highlighted that they were working closely with the leadership of various bodies to draw attention to the issues of extortion. “For instance, with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW)”, he says, “we helped them understand the important and central role they play in society such that if they decide to stop working for an hour, the entire city will suffer”. This has yielded positive results. In Imo state they are currently carrying out data capturing for all their members. Noting the high incidence of drug abuse among their members, which came across very strongly during a YSAD organized workshop, NURTW is now partnering with National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and other relevant law enforcement agencies to educate their members during their monthly meetings. In sharing some of their wins so far, they have been able to gain mileage with key actors across the law enforcement terrain including the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC). They have formed strategic partnerships with the National Orientation Agency (NOA) and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). In terms of community engagement, they have worked with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Keke Riders Association, market unions, women associations, religious bodies and traditional leaders amongst others. In spite of the ten months time frame given to undertake this massive endeavour, YSAD has been able to record breakthroughs and is open to partnerships that will sustain this initiative.Reactions
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Kaseina Dashe
COGNITO
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Posted on Monday, April 11, 2022
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