THE Nigerian Bar Association-Section on Public Interest and Development Law (NBA-SPIDEL) has expressed its appreciation to the Inspector-General of Police for ordering the suspension of the commencement of the Centralised Motor Insurance Registration Scheme (CMIRS) policy.
It will be recalled that NBA-SPIDEL had addressed a letter to the IGP Kayode Egbetokun calling on him to reverse all steps taken with regard to the CMRIS certification, an initiative of the Nigeria Police Force or be prepared for legal action.
NBA-SPIDEL questioned the legal propriety which enabled the Nigeria Police Force to issue CMRIS certificates to vehicle owners, particularly when it is not clearly stated in any laws (at least to the organisation’s knowledge) that the Nigeria Police has any authority to issue car licenses or certificates of any nature to vehicle owners after due registration of vehicles in the appropriate office.
However, reacting to the decision to suspend the initiative, NBA-SPIDEL said it is a demonstration of respect for the rule of law, given that the matter is currently sub judice.
In a statement released by the Chairman of NBA-SPIDEL, John Aikpokpo-Martins, the association applauded the Nigeria Police for respecting the rule of law by suspending the implementation of the programme. However, NBA-SPIDEL maintains that the suspension alone is insufficient and calls for the complete abandonment of the policy.
“The Nigeria Police must, as the foremost law enforcement agency in Nigeria, jettison the policy entirely as same has not been shown to be supported by any provision of the law,” Aikpokpo-Martins stated.
NBA-SPIDEL urges the Inspector-General of Police to discard the policy completely. The association suggests that if necessary, the Nigeria Police should instead assist the statutory bodies empowered by law to oversee vehicle registration in Nigeria in designing and maintaining a central database at no additional cost to Nigerians.
Eighteen-Eleven Media