By Gabriel Enogholase

BENIN—Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, legislators in the Edo State House of Assembly, yesterday, passed a resolution calling on the Edo State Traffic Management Agency and its officials to stop and desist from the management and control of traffic and arrest of suspected traffic offenders on federal trunk roads in the state.

It listed some of the roads to include Benin-Ore Road through Oluku down to Dawson Junction at Akpakpava; New Lagos Road; Akpakpava Road; Sapele Road; Benin-Sapele Road; Benin-Asaba Road; Murtala Muhammed Way; Benin Bye-pass and Upper Sakponba-Abraka Road.

They passed the resolution during plenary presided over by the Speaker, Chief Festus Ebea, following a motion on matter of urgent public importance by Kingsley Ehigiamusor, Emman Okoduwa and six others.

The legislators warned that any official or employee of the state traffic management agency found performing, working or controlling traffic or arresting suspected offenders or doing anything on the aforementioned federal trunk roads in the state would be arrested and prosecuted.

Relevant authorities

It said that the Federal Ministry of Works and its agencies such as Federal Emergency Road Management Agency, FERMA, should ensure and undertake the maintenance of all federal trunk roads in the state in conjunction with the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, Nigeria Police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, which it noted were constitutionally and statutorily empowered to control, direct or maintain traffic on the said roads.

Meanwhile, in an address marking the end of first quarter of the Fourth Session of the House, Chief Ebea blamed the crisis rocking the Assembly on the executive, saying that the Mr. Uyi Igbe-led faction hurriedly read the script written by the executive and threw caution and due process to the wind.

He apologised to Edo people and other Nigerians who had bitter experiences during the events, adding that his faction of the Assembly had passed over nine resolutions within 36 days of sitting.