Nigerian embassy in Saudi Arabia laments over traffic fines

…Unable to renew vehicle papers

Ahead of Presi­dent Muham­madu Buhari’s official visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, next month, the Nigerian embassy in Saudi Arabia, has cried out over its in­ability to renew papers of vehicles used by the embassy, most of which have long expired.

This was disclosed by the Charge d’Affaires of the Nigerian Embassy, Ri­yadh, Ambassador Tijjani Hammanjoda, while mak­ing his presentation at the 2015 pre-Arafat meeting, held in Jeddah, shortly be­fore Arafat.

According to him, the ac­cumulated fines arose from the use of vehicles previ­ously owned by states but used by private individuals in Saudi Arabia, after being sold to them.

He explained that be­cause such vehicles were purchased in the name of the embassy, once the traffic of­fenders commit the offences and run away, the electronic booking system would book such vehicles, and given that they were bought in the em­bassy’ s name, the charges would be sent to the embas­sy for settlement.

His words: “We assist state governments to buy ambulances, but we regis­ter them with private num­bers under the name of the embassy. But these vehicles are later sold to individuals. And these individuals have been committing traffic of­fences with them. Papers of the vehicles used by the embassy have all expired but we can’t renew them be­cause of the huge debts aris­ing from fines for the traffic offences.

“The National Hajj Com­mission of Nigeria (NAH­CON) has been cooperat­ing by assisting to pay, but NAHCON should sit with the states and see how the matter can be resolved. We will not be able to buy more vehicles too until the matter is resolved. And if you don’t pay such fines promptly, they increase with time, “ Hammanjoda, who did not disclose the amount, added.