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Ondo Federal lawmaker denies sponsoring bill for FRSC officials to bear arms
Member representing Ileoluji Okeibo/Odigbo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Akinfolarin Mayowa Samuel, said Media reports that he sponsored a bill for the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to bear arms was a height of falsehood by political elements who are hellbent on tarnishing the goodwill he has with his constituents.
An online publication not (CAPITAL POST) has credited a publication to the lawmaker that he was sponsoring a bill that the Federal Road Safety Corps should bear arms, a situation that did not go down well with his constituents.
In a statement of denial which he personally signed and made available to journalists on Saturday in Abuja, the lawmaker noted that the report to that effect in some media were the handiwork of mischief makers, who would stop at nothing to discredit him, saying, he neither sponsored a bill nor have one pending about the FRSC.
The lawmaker revealed how his constituents have put him under pressure over media fallacies, saying that he was putting his records straight that nothing of sort happened.
The statement reads:
“It has become imperative for me to give necessary clarifications over a statement credited to me, and as a mark of respect for those who voted for me in 2019.
“I do not have a Motion nor a Bill pending on the subject matter. What was reported concerning the meeting held between FRSC and the House Committee on FRSC was a misrepresentation of my view and position on the subject matter.
“In the said meeting, I made it abundantly clear that the eradication of accidents and protection of lives and properties on our roads is a collective responsibility of every citizen of Nigeria.
“While it is important to protect the lives and properties of road users, it is equally important to protect that of law enforcement agents on the road.
“It is two sides of a coin, as the lives of road users matters, so also the law enforcement agents’ lives matter too and no responsible and responsive government will allow the lives of citizens to be endangered.
“As stakeholders, we must all look for ways of ensuring the safety of our people by coming together to cross-fertilized ideas on how to eradicate accidents on our roads and as well protect the lives and ensure adequate security of both the road users and the law enforcement agents.
“I suggested a committee should be setup that will comprise the Executive, Commission (FRSC), and National Assembly to look into how we can help the Road Safety Personnel in carrying out their civic duties without molestation or harassment by unruly road users.
“It will sound very unreasonable for me to move a motion or sponsor a bill for bearing arms to FRSC officers when we already have the FRSC Establishment Act of 2007.”
“On a final note, I will like to appreciate those who took time to call me to seek clarification, criticise constructively and otherwise, as it’s the beauty of participatory democracy”, the statement concluded.