The Kwara State House of Assembly has begun a move to prohibit sales of alcohol and other intoxicants in motor parks in the state.

To this effect, it has directed its Joint Committee on Ethics, Privileges, Public Services and Judiciary, Energy, Works and Transport as well as Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to work on the extension of the Law prohibiting sales of alcohol within some areas in Ilorin metropolis to cover motor parks in the state.

The House also asked the Joint Committee to report the progress by April 7.

These were parts of the resolutions on the notice of motion titled: “Prohibition of sales of alcohol and other intoxicants in motor parks in Kwara State: KWHA 29”, moved at the Wednesday’s plenary by member for Ilorin Central Constituency, Hajia Segilola Abdulkadir, and three others.

The motion reads in parts: “Whereas there are so many motor parks across the state which are always full of activities in the conveyance of people and goods across the state and to other parts of the country;

“Whereas all over these parks, there are pockets of sellers of alcohol and other intoxicants which are consumed by the drivers of these commercial vehicles before embarking on driving to their various destinations;

“Whereas the prayer of every passenger is to have a safe journey to their various destinations;

“Whereas the consumption of these intoxicants is a major contributory factor to road traffic accidents leading to loss of precious lives and resources”.

The parliament, after exhaustive deliberation on the motion at the plenary which was presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Prof. Muhammad Gana Yisa, later resolved to call on the Road Employers Association, National Union of Road Transport Workers and other parks owners to ensure that their parks are rid of sellers of intoxicants and alcohol.

It called on the Federal Road Safety Commission to intensify campaign against the consumption of all kinds of intoxicants before and during driving.

The legislature also called on the relevant agents to acquire necessary skills to identify and track down drivers who get involved in taking alcohol and other intoxicants while driving.

Some of the members who contributed to the debate blamed 75 per cent of road accidents on the activities of drivers.

They also attributed the problems to action and inaction of Local Government Councils in the name of generating revenue and called on legislative councils in the state to enact byelaw and put in implementation machinery in motion to help sanitize the system.

The lawmakers, who also advocated tougher penalty against anyone who drinks alcohol or other intoxicants while driving, called on transport unions and other relevant stakeholders to rise agaist the ugly trend.