Siren: House wants first lady, IGP, others barred
From Onwuka Nzeshi in Abuja, 07.16.2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009

The House of Represent-atives is considering passing a bill to bar the First Lady and wives of the Vice-President, state governors, their deputies as well as cabinet ministers from the use of siren by vehicles on their convoy while on Nigerian roads.

http://odili.net/news/source/2009/jul/16/206.html

According to the Chairman, House Committee on Rules and Bussiness, Hon. Ita Enang, the bill is a private member bill which will be fully considered by the whole House when published in its votes and pass through third reading next Tuesday before being forwarded to Senate for concurrence.

Also to be barred from exercising this privilege of priority access to the roads is the Inspector General of Police (IGP) as well as the chiefs of the three services namely Army, Navy and the Air Force.

The new legislation is premised on the eventual adoption of the report of the House Committee on Governmental Affairs on: A Bill for an Act to Regulate the Use of Siren in Nigeria and for Other Matters Connected Therewith.

The draft bill seeks to amend the Federal Road Safety Commission Act 2007 by regulating the use of sirens, flashers and beacons in Nigeria and also provide punishment for the offenders. It basically seeks to prohibit the indiscriminate use of sirens by unauthorised persons and stipulates punishment for offenders.

The House had at its plenary on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 referred the bill to the Committee for further legislative action. The Committee in its final report recommended, among other things, the amendment of Section 27 of the Federal Road Safety Commission Act to make provision for penalties.

Under the proposed bill, only the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Vice-President, President of the Senate, Deputy Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Justice of Nigeria, state governors and their deputies are allowed express use of siren on the roads.

Personnel of the Nigeria Police Force, the Armed Forces, para-military agencies, hospitals and fire service may however be allowed to use the siren while on emergency duties only.

It was not clear if bullion vans used by the banks to convey cash from one point to the other would still enjoy the privilege as the bill was silent on it. By implication also, chief executives of banks and other businessmen who have the habit of harassing other road users with siren may also be liable of an offence and could face prosecution.

The proposed bill also stipulates that Speakers of state Houses of Assembly can only use the siren within the confines of their states, while chairmen of state Council of Chiefs (one in each state of the federation) will be allowed the use of the siren within their states.

According to the draft of the new legislation, anyone not on the “siren class” but contravenes the provisions of the Act commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding N1 million or one year imprisonment or both.

The offender will also have his or her vehicle and the siren device confiscated in the case of a second offender.

Similarly, a person who imports sirens or other similar devices used in vehicles without the permission of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) will be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding N500,000 or one year imprisonment or both, while a person who drives a vehicle with siren without certification by FRSC will be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding N50,000 or one year or both.

The proposed bill may effectively take over the regulation of use of sirens from the desk of the IGP and confers the same rights on the FRSC.

Under the old dispensation, the law states that “the Inspector General of Police may, subject to the approval of the President, make regulations relating to the use of sirens and similar devices used in vehicles.”

I welcome this with open arms

I didnt know they use sirens b4.
Useless Govt

Sam Milla:

I didnt know they use sirens b4.
Useless Govt

in a place where even the wife of the councilor even use official cars

Anybody can put siren in Naija and move people out of the way.

Aloy.Emeka:

Anybody can put siren in Naija and move people out of the way.

Not anymore as i heard oh

You wouldn't know until you try. Who stops you when your siren is on?

The olopas will use u for lunch oh, so i heard

ah ah this is not fair now.

Its even high time they scrape off that "First lady thing/office"

In america does the first lady do that

Due to constant traffic on our roads

Every D ick and Harry uses siren to pave way( Lawless country isn't it?)

Not only 1st Ladies, Diplomats and Expatriates in big companies uses it also,

waste of time. supposing they use it, what will the house do, impeach her husband. what bunch of crap.

This is a welcomed  development

OMG. . . I didn't know that wives of elected people also get to use sirens.

What kind of government are we running where everyone wants to be an oppressor?

Taxpayer's money is used to buy cars with sirens to chase taxpayers off the roads.

God dey.

ifyalways:

Its even high time they scrape off that "First lady thing/office"

There is nothing wrong in the office of the first lady, only wrong when she is now abusing the office.

freezy:

Taxpayer's money is used to buy cars with sirens to chase taxpayers off the roads.

God dey.

Fell your pain

Aloy.Emeka:

Siren: House wants first lady, IGP, others barred
From Onwuka Nzeshi in Abuja, 07.16.2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009

The House of Represent-atives is considering passing a bill to bar the First Lady and wives of the Vice-President, state governors, their deputies as well as cabinet ministers from the use of siren by vehicles on their convoy while on Nigerian roads.

http://odili.net/news/source/2009/jul/16/206.html

According to the Chairman, House Committee on Rules and Bussiness, Hon. Ita Enang, the bill is a private member bill which will be fully considered by the whole House when published in its votes and pass through third reading next Tuesday before being forwarded to Senate for concurrence.

Also to be barred from exercising this privilege of priority access to the roads is the Inspector General of Police (IGP) as well as the chiefs of the three services namely Army, Navy and the Air Force.

The new legislation is premised on the eventual adoption of the report of the House Committee on Governmental Affairs on: A Bill for an Act to Regulate the Use of Siren in Nigeria and for Other Matters Connected Therewith.

The draft bill seeks to amend the Federal Road Safety Commission Act 2007 by regulating the use of sirens, flashers and beacons in Nigeria and also provide punishment for the offenders. It basically seeks to prohibit the indiscriminate use of sirens by unauthorised persons and stipulates punishment for offenders.

The House had at its plenary on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 referred the bill to the Committee for further legislative action. The Committee in its final report recommended, among other things, the amendment of Section 27 of the Federal Road Safety Commission Act to make provision for penalties.

Under the proposed bill, only the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Vice-President, President of the Senate, Deputy Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Justice of Nigeria, state governors and their deputies are allowed express use of siren on the roads.

Personnel of the Nigeria Police Force, the Armed Forces, para-military agencies, hospitals and fire service may however be allowed to use the siren while on emergency duties only.

It was not clear if bullion vans used by the banks to convey cash from one point to the other would still enjoy the privilege as the bill was silent on it. By implication also, chief executives of banks and other businessmen who have the habit of harassing other road users with siren may also be liable of an offence and could face prosecution.

The proposed bill also stipulates that Speakers of state Houses of Assembly can only use the siren within the confines of their states, while chairmen of state Council of Chiefs (one in each state of the federation) will be allowed the use of the siren within their states.

According to the draft of the new legislation, anyone not on the “siren class” but contravenes the provisions of the Act commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding N1 million or one year imprisonment or both.

The offender will also have his or her vehicle and the siren device confiscated in the case of a second offender.

Similarly, a person who imports sirens or other similar devices used in vehicles without the permission of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) will be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding N500,000 or one year imprisonment or both, while a person who drives a vehicle with siren without certification by FRSC will be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding N50,000 or one year or both.

The proposed bill may effectively take over the regulation of use of sirens from the desk of the IGP and confers the same rights on the FRSC.

Under the old dispensation, the law states that “the Inspector General of Police may, subject to the approval of the President, make regulations relating to the use of sirens and similar devices used in vehicles.”

Na today, we don hear this tete. It is true, idle hand is the devil's workshop. Let them use the time wasted on this bill on more reasonable bills like FOI

sir t:

Na today, we don hear this tete. It is true, idle hand is the devil's workshop. Let them use the time wasted on this bill on more reasonable bills like FOI

Lol.
But i think it will be a great thing though, cos those people abuse office too much, soon they will have office for the first dog of the nation, and since dem be aboki, could be the first malu's office

That bill will not see the light of day in the house.

The Gov shuld BAN them if caught & if no immunity attached with them they should be JAILED

What about expatriate escorts?

chukz4real:

What about expatriate escorts?

They shd not be allowed to use no siren, do they use siren in their own country?

useless country

otukpo:

Good development. Hope they enforce it.

Just some brown envelop to the house from the lame duck will silence them all, but will be a great thing to do

some big pastors in Nigeria use them too

chichii:

some big pastors in Nigeria use them too

That is all nonsense and all has to stop.

chukz4real:

What about expatriate escorts?

i tire o!

make dem wait oh, make my wife use am finish

ohaechesi:

make dem wait oh, make my wife use am finish

when u get to power, u can change the law