Lawyer Sues Anambra Assembly Over Traffic Agency Law

An Onitsha based lawyer, Chief Ugo Ugwunnadi has sued the Anambra State House of Assembly, challenging its power and jurisdiction to enact the Anambra State Traffic Agency law of 2011 and the Anambra State Traffic Agency Amendment law of 2015.

Other defendants in the suit include: the speaker of Anambra state house of Assembly, the clerk, the Anambra State Road Traffic Management Agency (ARTMA), the managing director of ARTMA, Emeka Okonkwo, and an ARTMA officer Lucy and others.

In the suit filed at the high court, Atani, Ogbaru division, Ugwunnadi is asking the court to determine if the state house of Assembly has legislative competence to make traffic laws given that the power to make traffic laws is provided for in the exclusive list and conferred on the National Assembly.

He wants the court to declare that the Anambra State Traffic Agency law of 2011 and the Anambra State Traffic Agency Amendment law of 2015 are ultra vires, void and of no legal effect.

The lawyer is also seeking an order of the court to set aside the entirety of the Anambra State Traffic Agency law of 2011 and the Anambra State Traffic Agency Amendment law of 2015 as they were made in violation of the 1999 constitution.

He equally wants the court to grant an order of perpetual injunction restraining the officers of ARTMA from operating, impounding vehicles, imposing fines on users of federal trunk A roads within Anambra state or carrying out any activity whatsoever.

The legal practitioner, who identified as a victim of the activities of ARTMA officers, is seeking 5 million Naira exemplary damages he incurred in June as a result of the violation of his human person and the cruelty ARTMA officers meted on him.