Officials of Ekiti State Traffic Management Agency (EKSTMA), on Wednesday impounded a vehicle belonging to a serving member of Ekiti State House of Assembly for an alleged traffic offence.
The lawmaker, a female, Ayoka Fatumbi, who is from Ekiti East State Constituency, was said to be preparing for an empowerment programme in her constituency before the incident.
The arrest caused stir among top officials of the agency, as controversy ensued on how best to handle the case.
It was gathered that a certain officer had attempted to treat the matter with kid gloves, but his attempt was rebuffed by another.
Daily Independent learnt that private Sienna car belonging to the legislator, was impounded for alleged overloading and use of official number plate of the state House of Assembly in the early hours of Wednesday.
Reacting, the lawmaker, who burst into tears while narrating her ordeal to newsmen, admitted that the vehicle belonged to the Assembly and that she took permission to use it to convey the goods.
She added: “The materials in the vehicle are for the empowerment programme in my constituency tomorrow (Thursday) and the First Lady (Mrs. Fayemi) will be there as Mother of the Day.
“I don’t know we have to get permit at the agency before we can use the car to carry load since it has a carrier.
“I don’t know that a vehicle that has carrier cannot be used to carry load in Ekiti State.”
However, General Manager of the agency, Charles Fasuba, said, “The law is not only for the poor, but for both the poor and the rich.
“It is abysmal and insulting for a lawmaker that was a party to a law should be seen wantonly violating the same law she partook in making.
“The agency has been on for a long time and it has been able to bring sanity to our roads and reduced the rate of accident.”
Fasuba said that aside making the lawmaker pay the required fine, the agency would also report her officially to both the Speaker of the Assembly and Governor Kayode Fayemi for necessary action.