A Deputy Ranking Member of the Defense and Interior committee of Parliament, Major (Rtd) Derek Oduro, has described as unlawful, the Police administration’s suspension of motor checks.
According to the him, Parliament is the only institution that has the power to review any part of the Road Traffic Law.
A memo sighted by Citi News revealed that the Police Command had ordered the suspension of all vehicle checks and the inspection of driver’s licenses and vehicle documents, citing among others, the inconvenience the inspection caused to motorists and the perceived corruption associated with it.
But Derek Oduro, also the MP for the Nkoranza North constituency, told Citi News that the Police had no right to issue such a directive.
He explained that, “if you want to amend the law, it has to come back to parliament. No individual or group of people or organisation or institution can review the law, abrogate the law, can do away with the law without first passing it through Parliament.”
The MP acknowledged that, the vehicle and license checks did provide an avenue for corruption but suggested that instead of the ban, “the IGP should impress upon the police to stop collecting bribes from the drivers and not undermining the laws that have been passed by Parliament.”
Ban to help police focus on curbing road accidents
The Police Service has also explained that the decision to suspend the checks was aimed at helping its personnel focus on reducing needless vehicular accidents.
The Police observed that, the over-concentration of MTTD personnel on motor checks at the expense of traffic management increases the likelihood of road fatalities occurring.
The Police administration also dismissed suggestions that the directive was politically motivated ahead of elections in December.
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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana