Unity Road PP Church Brawl: KWARTMA Reacts To Viral Video…Warns Against Religious Sentiment…Urges Obedience To Traffic Regulations

The Kwara state Road Traffic Management Authority (KWARTMA)  has reacted to the viral video taken during the brawl that was recorded at the frontage of the Potter’s Church , Unity Road on Sunday.

KWARTMA in a statement issued in Ilorin on Monday and made available to Team@orientactualmags.com by  its acting CEO, Engineer Michael Gboyega Bamidele, explained that its officials had done nothing wrong as they were only carrying out their duties .

The agency has also only warned against religious sentiment while urging obedience to traffic rules and regulations.

‘The attention of the Kwara state Road Traffic Management Authority (KWARTMA) has been drawn to allegations of assault, instigation of violence, religious crisis, and intimidation by some unidentified members of Potter’s Porch worship centre along Unity Road, Ilorin, on May 12, 2024.

Kwara state Road Traffic Management Authority is established with the mandate to manage traffic in the state. Its cardinal responsibility extends to enforcement of traffic laws and other connected matters, ranging from encroachment, flagrant parking, rescue operations, and discouragement of alms begging on the road, all in the bids to enhance safety of lives and property of the citizenry.

It should be noted that all the vehicles that were clamped by KWARTMA officers were indiscriminately parked on the kerbs (walkways), which are meant for pedestrians. 

As professional traffic managers, all the vehicles carefully parked behind the yellow tick lines were not clamped. 

Our enforcement officers who visited the spots and requested the car owners to repark their vehicles were manhandled and attacked as some of the worshipers claimed that they had come for a Sunday service and those vehicles cannot be reparked.

The inciting video was an unfortunate manipulation of religion to mask a flagrant disrespect for the law and the tendency to cause inconveniences for fellow citizens. 

KWARTMA has consistently enlightened all members of the society about traffic rules. Good citizens should respect the law and promote collective safety; rather than break it and then whip up sentiments along religious lines to perpetrate impunity.

It is pertinent to inform members of the public that walkways are specifically meant for pedestrians, and KWARTMA expects organizations, corporate bodies, and individuals to respect the law.

It is important to also note that our enforcement is devoid of religious sentiments. KWARTMA is in harmonious relationship with all religious bodies in the state, both Christians and the Muslims, who are equal stakeholders in traffic management.

Against this backdrop, the Authority urges members of the public to obey traffic laws and disregard the mischievous outcry aimed at whipping up sentiments, which are meant to perpetrate impunity.

We thank the leaders of the affected church for wading into the matter and apologizing for the unfair and illegal manhandling of our officials who were simply discharging their duties to the people of the state. 

Kwara state Road Traffic Management Authority (KWARTMA) will continue to promote safety and efficient traffic management in the state and beyond. 

Road safety and traffic management is a collective responsibility of all, as KWARTMA enjoins all road users to make the walkway free from parking and market activities’ the statement said-Team@orientactualmags.com  Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com.  Thank you