By E. J. Nathaniel Daygbor in Monrovia
Had Police Commissioner Patrick Sudue known that his appearance before the Liberian Senate would have spelled for some problem for him, he probably would not have authorize commercial motorcyclists to ply their business in the streets of Monrovia.
The Police’s Inspector General was all apologies when he appeared before members of the Liberian Senate give reasons why he took what the senators called “hasty decision” to bring back commercial motorcyclists in the main streets of the Paynesville and Gardnerville, respectively.
Thursday, March 8, saw throngs of young men believed to be commercial motorcyclists who swarmed the Capitol Building where they had gone to escort the Col. Sudue for his appearance before the Senate’s full plenary.
Before the March 8th hearing, the week before that saw the Senate in its 15th day sitting voted unanimously to invite the Police Inspector General over the re-appearance of motorcyclists on the streets in Monrovia and other parts of the city, including the commercial district of Paynesville. Paynesvill was a “No Go Zones” for commercial cyclists prior to Director Sudue’s order.
The Senators’ decision followed a lengthy debate on two separate communications from Senators Geraldine Doe-Sherif of Montserrado County and Stephen Zargo, Lofa County, in which they called the attention of their colleagues to the resurfacing of commercial motorcycles onto the principal streets of Monrovia.
Following the pros et cons argument by the senators, Sudue, without delay said that the decision of bringing back motorcyclists was not his decision instead, that of his predecessor, Col. Gregory Coleman. He said the recent action of the police was to enforce the earlier decision of the police.
Inspector General Sudue said he’s new in the position as head of the Liberia National Police and everyone had a period of learning curve but promised to build further consultations with all stakeholders in these cases in the future.
The annual statistics released by the Liberia National Police for 2016 shows 1,557 road accidents compare to the 1,149 in 2015.
The statistics revealed that deaths in road accidents last year were 175, while in 2015 a total of 215 people died in such mishaps.
In 2016, road accident injuries were 1,539 compare to 1,118 in 2015. The increase was equivalent to 3.15 percent.
According to the Police statistics, 129 cases were taken to court in 2016, while 198 were taken to court in 2015. Some 798 of those cases were resolved in 2016 while 515 were resolved in 2015, 630 cases are pending in 2016 as compared to 436 in 2015.
In 2016, 2,096 vehicles were damaged as compared to 1,644 in 2015, and 2,649 vehicles were involved, while 1,997 in 2015. The road accident statistics also revealed that accident description either by car-to-car, car to pedestrian, motorcycle to pedestrian, motorcycle to motorcycle and self-accident. 4,061 accidents occurred, 1,149 in 2015.
