Users Of Tinted Glass Risk N50,000 Fine, 6-Month Jail Term - Senate

 

Anyone driving tinted glass vehicles without permit now risk a fine of N50,000 or a six-month jail term or both. This was as a result of the final passage by the Senate, on Thursday, the Bill for an Act to amend the Motor Vehicle (Prohibition of Tinted Glass) Act aimed at checking indiscriminate use of tinted glass vehicles without approval. The options of fine, jail term or both were contained in the bill, first read on the floor on April 18, 2013 and sponsored by Senator Ita Enang. Read more after the break
The decision of the Senate followed the adoption and approval of the report of its joint committee on Police Affairs and Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters on the bill. The chairman of the joint committee,  Senator Paulinus Nwagwu, said the bill “seeks essentially, to amend the extant law in order to check indiscriminate use of tinted glass vehicles which beat security checks and carry out nefarious activities.” Nwagwu said the need for the bill arose, following the reactions of Nigerians to the  recent announcement by the Nigeria Police of its intention to arrest and prosecute Nigerians driving cars with tinted glass. 


He said it was, therefore, necessary to let Nigerians know that the police was not trying to introduce a new law but was merely trying to enforce an already existing Regulations  66 (2) of the National Traffic Regulations of 1997 and the Motor Vehicles (Prohibition of Tinted Glass) Act. Nwagwu said the Motor Vehicle (Prohibition of Tinted Glass ) Act Amendment Bill 2013 was thus sponsored to, among others, amend the enabling act with a view to streamlining it with the present realities. “The bill also seeks to address the persisting injustice meted out to Nigerians through embarrassment and harassment,  which constitutes a serious affront to the fundamental rights of Nigerians against discrimination as enshrined under Section 42 of the Constitution,” he added. 


He said various stakeholders, during the public hearing on the bill, had emphasised  the need to address current  upsurge in terrorism and other crimes like kidnapping, child trafficking. The bill, among other provisions, requested buyers of imported vehicles with tinted, shaded, coloured, darkened or treated glass to change it to transparent ones within 14 days from the date of arrival in Nigeria or date of purchase.
In the alternative, it stipulated that buyers of such vehicles should request for a permit for the use of such tinted glass vehicles from the Office of the Inspector General of Police, anywhere in the country, within 90 days of importing the vehicle.

Won't those who engage in nefarious activities simply get a permit for their tinted glasses and still continue perpetration their heinous crimes? Is somebody else seeing what i am seeing?



According to tribune..