By Femi Ogunshola
Obeying traffic rules in most Nigerian cites seems to be a herculean task for road users, as most motorists see it as time- wasting and in some cases, unnecessary.
It is somewhat commonplace to find motorists flouting traffic rules flagrantly even in the face of danger, as most of them are seemingly unaware of the import of traffic light, for instance, while others, who are seemingly aware of it, tend to disregard it.
Observers, however, heap the blame on traffic wardens and law enforcement agents who control traffic at various points for not apprehending motorists who flout traffic regulations.
They insist that the traffic officers ought to be more proactive in their approach to work.
They, nonetheless, believe that the country’s deteriorating traffic situation will be brought under control by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari which was inaugurated on May 29.
Such expectations are hinged on the recent action of Buhari, who as president-elect on May 7, ordered all security personnel attached to him as well as his official escorts to obey traffic rules.
Perceptive analysts, however, insist that while the directive is commendable, it will be somewhat foolhardy for any president to give and sustain such an order.
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Mr Akinwande Lewis, a lawyer, said that no matter how liberal Buhari wanted to be, he should be mindful of the implications of his directive on strict obedience of traffic rules by his security personnel and escorts.
“The president’s safety should not be toyed with; his security should be paramount and taken seriously. We should not forget the basic fact that not all Nigerians will love President Buhari and his policies,’’ he said.
However, Mr Ibrahim Paiko, another lawyer, said that the president’s gesture was merely symbolic, adding that his directive aptly signified that the days of impunity were gone.
“President Buhari’s action is, however, not strange, as he has all along been known as a `no-nonsense man’; other government officials should take a cue from his action and follow suit,’’ he said.
Malam Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant (Media and Publicity) to the President, said that the order was a demonstration of Buhari’s leadership style.
He said that obedience to the law would be the guiding philosophy of the Buhari-administration because if there was no leadership by example, the citizens would be encouraged to emulate their leaders’ lawlessness.
Shehu’s sentiments appear logical, as Buhari has repeatedly said that arrogance of power, lawlessness and disregard for citizens’ rights would have no place in his government.
Buhari stressed that for leaders to garner’s the people’s respect, they must obey the laws, adding that whenever leaders treated the country’s laws with contempt, they would inadvertently send the wrong message to the citizens.
Buhari bemoaned a situation where citizens “are punished at traffic points and public roads because of the arrogant lawlessness of the leaders’’, insisting that such situation was totally unacceptable.
He reiterated that in a democracy, leaders ought to refrain from inflicting inconveniences and other unbearable ordeals on the citizens for their own comfort.
The president said that the security personnel attached to him must be in tune with his philosophy of “bringing the rule of law to bear on the conduct of leaders during their movements on public roads’’.
Nevertheless, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, a former Minister of External Affairs, rejected the president’s sentiments, insisting that his directive could be quite risky and inimical to the country’s interests.
In an open letter to Buhari when he was the president-elect, Akinyemi underscored the need for Buhari to take his personal security seriously in the overall interest of the country.
He called on Buhari to rescind his decision, saying that he should be very mindful of the current security threats facing the country.
He emphasised that there was nowhere in the world where the motorcade of a president or prime minister was subjected to traffic regulations.
Akinyemi recalled the events leading to the assassination a former Head of State, Gen. Murtala Mohammed, in 1976 in order to elucidate his viewpoint.
He said that Mohammed, who jettisoned the use of motorcade and security escorts, was gunned down by some coupists when his car was held up in traffic at a road junction in Obalende, Lagos.
“Nigeria and the world have become a more dangerous place than in 1976 when Gen. Mohammed was assassinated.
“You would also recall the attempt on your life just last year when your motorcade was attacked in Kaduna
“There is no country in the world where the motorcade of a president or prime minister or head of state is subject to traffic regulations.
“I have just watched the motorcade of the British Prime Minister on his way to Buckingham Palace; traffic was stopped and his outriders ensured that the motorcade was not impeded.
“It is not about your personal safety, it is about Nigeria’s national security. We cannot continue to take chances with the peace and stability of Nigeria and depend on God to bail us out.
“General, please reconsider your decision, not for your sake but for the sake of Nigeria,” Akinyemi added.
However, an Abuja-based lawyer, Prof. Akinseye George (SAN), picked holes in the ex-minister’s arguments, saying that by obeying traffic rules, Buhari would set a good precedent for all Nigerians.
He rejected Akinyemi’s reference to the Murtala assassination saga, saying that the killing, which took place during the military era, could never occur in a democratic setting.
He said that Buhari, by this action, had shown utmost respect for the rule of law, describing the action as a powerful signal to all Nigerians, particularly leaders and affluent citizens who were fond of violating traffic rules.
“This is good and laudable, it shows fidelity to the law; the directive is a sign of purposeful and exemplary leadership because one of the problems facing this country is that big men don’t obey the law,’’ he said.
George said that the era of impunity was gone, urging Nigerians to join hands together with Buhari in efforts to bring the country out of the doldrums.
Sharing similar sentiments, Mr Bamidele Fatai, a public affairs analyst, said that if the president obeyed traffic laws, all Nigerians would have no other option than to emulate him in that direction.
He argued that incidents such as Gen. Murtala’s assassination could be avoided if presidential motorcades were well-equipped so as to forestall any security breach.
Fatai, however, conceded that Gen. Murtala’s assignation represented one of the darkest chapters of Nigerian history but added that Nigerians would never allow such a dastardly act to occur again.
“I think the solution is in our leaders themselves, if they keep their promises and rule in line with the people’s expectations, such kinds of criminality would end.
“I know President Buhari is very wise; before he gave that directive, he would have weighed all the implications. We should just wish him success in his administration and agenda for this country,” he said.
Mr Jerry Obaseki, a political analyst, echoed Akinyemi’s viewpoint, insisting that heads of state and government everywhere in the world would never obey traffic regulations for glaring security reasons.
He, however, expressed the hope that the president’s National Security Adviser would warn him about the security implications of his decision to obey traffic regulations.
“We need the president alive to enable him to effect the positive changes we have been yearning for ever since Nigeria’s independence 55 years ago,’’ Obaseki said.
“We must not allow sentiments to becloud our judgment; detractors and fifth columnists are always around; the president should be aware of this fact and always strive to play safe, said Mr Kunle Ogunlesi, a banker.
“He should not allow his popularity to becloud his judgement in all the nation-building processes; his safety is important to all Nigerians,’’ he added.
All in all, analysts are of the view that President Buhari should always be conscious of the need to examine the security implications of all his actions, irrespective of their purpose or intent. (NANFeatures)
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