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Ribadu’s start was sensational in the nabbing of Balogun and the day Nigeria grows to continue this standard will mark a turning point in the destiny of our good old nation!

N e w s f l a s h ! ! !
Can this happen in Nigeria?
German Minister of Transport booked at Traffic checkpoint!
Written by Frisky Larr

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As the white sheets rolled out of the fax machine at the newsroom of several media houses in Germany on Thursday, it was no routine process. This specific sheet amongst thousands of fax sheets rolling out each day was a special one. It was addressed from the Ministry of Transport of the Federal State of North Rhine Westphalia - the equivalent of any State in Nigeria. The Ministry had sought to stem further wild speculations in its root by simply confirming what has been common news since November 2008. The State Minister of Transport Oliver Wittke was traveling in his car (Brand unknown) through a remote rural road sometime in November 2008 when he ran into a well hidden mobile traffic surveillance camera fitted with a radar system. On a road with a speed limit of 50 km/h, the Minister was caught driving 109 km/h. He was duly stopped by a Police Officer, made to identify himself and told what he had done wrong. The table of penalties due for different categories of traffic offences was clear on this and the Minister was told the amount of fine he had to pay. On top of this, the Minister’s driving license was impounded for two months and is due for release only next week. Asked for his comment, the Minister was remorseful in acknowledging his mistake and pledging to avoid future occurrence. Within the weeks of the driving ban he had simply resorted to being chauffeured. The apprehension of Minister Wittke was most intriguing because of his high-profile exposure in the launching of government-sponsored road safety projects. But the opposition wants his political coffin and the debate rages on. Can a Minister be stopped in Nigeria by a traffic Police Officer? Not even a fellow Police Officer is troubled in Nigeria at police checkpoints because they post conspicuous police badges on their vehicles. Ministers would drive in officially identifiable vehicle and if they happen to run into checkpoints while occasionally driving incognito they would simply identify themselves. Woe would then betide such a Police Officer or Road Safety operative who would dare to mumble any stuff about a breach of speed limit or other infringement of traffic regulations. Ribadu’s start was sensational in the nabbing of Balogun and the day Nigeria grows to continue this standard will mark a turning point in the destiny of our good old nation!