Some high-ranking government officials have been rankled by the 60-km speed limit on highways. Now they are protesting the fines that come along with disrespecting the speed limit.
By Anu Nkeze Paul
Recently, former MP, Hon. Jean Jacques Ekindi, embarrassed gendarme officers at Sombo on the Yaounde-Douala highway when their radar caught him over-speeding.
While the MP agreed that the practice is good to curb road accidents, he said it is better to issue a summons for the fines to be paid in a law court instead of asking instantly for money on the roadside.
According to Ekindi, the gendarmes are just out to extort money from road users.
State officials are known to flout speed limits but refuse to pay fines.
They invoke their positions at the Presidency or the Prime Minister’s service, amongst others, to dodge the fines.
Some even go to the extent of calling close friends and relatives to intervene for them to escape the fines.
But Major General Simon Pierre Dagafounangsou, the Commander of the First Gendarmerie Region, said nobody is above the law as far as road safety offences are concerned.
He said all actors involved in the campaign must remain firm and explained to violators that if found guilty of road offences they will face the axe of the law.
Major General Dagafounangsou warned that senior officials are supposed to show good example for others to follow and for the system to be effective.
“No one will be placed above the law,” he said.
