The Use of Siren by Frank Ayade is a Blatant Illegality, By Barr. Okoi Obono-Obla

GOV. BEN AYADE OF C'RIVER STATE

It is a notorious fact that one Frank Ayade is the younger brother of Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State of Nigeria! Preposterously Frank Ayade is referred to by Governor Ayade as "Co-Governor"! 

I am not really bothered by which nomenclature, Governor Ayade elect to call or prefer to call his brother, Frank Ayade. But I am disturbed when Frank Ayade assumes the toga of the paraphernalia of a de facto Governor by making appointments, sacking these appointees and driving in a convoy of official motorcade escorted by siren blaring pilot vehicles! It is a blatant illegality for Frank Ayade to continue to perpetrate this Illegality in Cross River State. 

I remembered on the 15th September 2015, the Nigeria Police Force through it then Force Public Relations Officer, Olabisi Kolawole (Acting Assistant Commissioner of Police) warned that the Police would not hesitate to arrest any unauthorized persons found using siren. She then listed the categories of persons entitled to use siren thus:                                                       

President Muhammadu Buhari ; Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo ;The Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki; The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara;The Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu;The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives,Yusuf Lasun; The 36 State Governors; All Service Chiefs (the Chiefs of Staffs of Air force, Army and Navy); Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase; General Officers Commanding; Deputy Inspector General of Police; Assistant Inspector General of Police and Commissioner of Police of States.

Under the Federal Highways ( Prohibition of Use of Siren) Act,2000, only two categories of persons and establishments can use siren in the Federal Highways. They are the following persons thus: The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria ;The Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria ; The President of the Senate;The Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Chief Justice of Nigeria. 

Under the category of establishments that are entitled to use the Siren are thus: Federal Fire Service; Hospitals and Ambulance Service Providers ; the Nigeria Police and the Federal Road Safety Corps.So the use of Siren by Frank Ayade is patently illegal and indeed an aberration which the Commissioner of Police in Cross River State must an end to forthwith!

Okoi Obono-Obla