Traffic Warden Service Seeks Formal De-Merging From The Police, As It Begin Moves To Actualise Its Autonomy

The Traffic Warden Service (TWS), has been granted a writ of execution to actualise its autonomy from the Nigeria Police Force leadership.ng reports.

Documents at the disposal of LEADERSHIP reveals that the Traffic Warden Service was established by the military government of the late General Murtala Mohammed in 1974.

A non-governmental organisation (NGO), Greater Virtue for Traffic Watch and Development Initiative, is the arrowhead of the struggle to liberate Traffic Wardens and the Traffic Warden Service from the police.

The national coordinator of the NGO, Mr Jonah Kebekobase Johnsonapla, revealed all that his organisation had done, and is doing, to free the service from police.

He saidm “Do you know that apart from the decree which established the Traffic Warden Service 43 years ago, a Federal High Court, and a Court of Appeal, both in Kaduna, have established, and affirmed the autonomy of the Traffic Warden Service”

“Controlling traffic is squarely the duty of Traffic Wardens,’’ he declared.

Backing up his submission, Johnsonapla showed a sheaf of documents for this reporter’s perusal.

Among the documents were a photocopy of General Murtala Mohammed’s decree and a photocopy of the judgments of both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal, both in Kaduna.

The Court of Appeal gave its judgment in May 2000.

To achieve the targeted autonomy of Traffic Wardens, the co-coordinator revealed that the NGO sponsored the Traffic warden Service bill seeking the formal de-merging of the Traffic Warden Service from the police.

To further its struggle to realise the autonomy granted by both the decree and the judgments of the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal, Johnsonapla added that the NGO approached a court for an exparte motion which was granted.

The motion was for an order of execution of the two judgments of the courts on the autonomy of the Traffic Warden Service.

According to documents now in the custody of LEADERSHIP, the Writ of Execution formally and finally terminates the 43 three years of the police stranglehold over the Traffic Warden Service.

Johnsonapla said , “With this development, the Senate is expected to withdraw its earlier order to its committee on Police Affairs to devise a new nomenclature for Traffic Wardens, a departure from what the Traffic Warden Service, TWS, seeks to achieve.

“The Senate has no choice, It must obey court orders. It will do this by passing the original traffic warden service bill as an Act of the National Assembly.”