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- Calls for more sensitisation of drivers on online process
From Ben Dunno, Warri
The National President, Committee For Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), (Dr) Kehinde Prince Taiga, has expressed concern over the manner in which policemen attached to some Divisions in Delta state have taken advantage of the new electronic Central Motor Registry (e-CMR), to extort members of the public.
He therefore appealed to Inspector General of Police (IGP) Olukayode Egbetokun, to extend the time of its enforcement and embark on more sensitisation campaigns to enlighten the public on its Online application process, as most drivers, especially those in remote areas were not smart phone friendly and does not have social media exposure to be well informed.
Narrating some of the ordeals some uninformed drivers had been subjected by policemen in recent time over the e-CMR issue on some major roads in Warri, Effurun, Uvwie, Udu, Enerhen and mostly Ughelli, Comrade Taiga, noted that the information gap can only be bridged by the police authorities when they embarked on more public campaigns.
According to him. “Having seen and heard a lot of cases on police extortion of some semi-literate drivers and those who are not smart phones compliant even some educated ones who are still not up to date on the online registration of e-CMR, I felt compelled to appeal to the Inspector General of Police, (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun, to extend the period of its enforcement.
“This appeal had become very necessary at this time as we have been recording countless cases of extortions by policemen across various police divisions within Delta state where vehicles owners were being made to pay as much as N40,000 – N60,000 as bail sum to free their vehicles when impounded. Y these law enforcing agents on the road.”
“We have conducted an independent investigation on why most drivers fell victims of these latest exploitations by policemen and we realised that majority of the drivers, especially car owners who are not smart phones users and does not have access to know these new innovations of registering online and as such are not aware of the implications”.
“Consequently, we felt the need to humbly request an additional time for more elaborate grassroots awareness campaigns for the e-CMR process, in order to ensure that everybody were carried along through the use of local radio stations and other means of reaching the nooks and crannies of some communities to create awareness”.
“The present economic situation in the country today is no longer friendly and allowing policemen to continue to extort uninformed members of the public over the issue of e-CMR is not the best interest of the masses who are currently contending with the harsh reality of the time,” he stated.
