Traffic control: Motoriststorn between LASTMA andfederal task force

Traffic control: Motoriststorn between LASTMA andfederal task force

Source: Tribune

With the recent altercations between members of the federal government special task force and officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA),
it appears motorists in Lagos State are torn between which government agency to obey.

While some are of the opinion that the newly created Federal Task force are more civil and accommodating going by the fact that majority of them are graduates, others are of the opinion that
they may soon go the way of many government agencies who extort moneyfrom motorists to augment their salary.

Dressed in grey and black uniforms, the federal operatives have, in recent times, been seen controlling traffic at certain locations in the state.
Many Lagos residents saw the group as a faceless organisation but were, however, assured that they were offshoot of the Federal Government Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) deployed to Lagos roads for traffic control.

Investigations by Inside Lagos reveal that both agencies are doing fairly well with controlling traffic.
But all this could change drastically as the Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola has specifically told residents to disregard the task force.

He, a few days ago, urged motorists across the state not to regard officials of the federal task force who have been deployed in major roads in the state. Fashola said this even as officials of both
agencies clashed over control of roads in the state. He argued that the task force officials, who are part of the Subsidy Re- Investment and Empowerment Programme of the Presidency, had no right to control traffic on Lagos roads.

“The SURE-P task force has no right to manage traffic on Lagos roads. The only agency authorised to manage traffic in Lagos on the federal roads are LASTMA and the Federal Road Safety Corps.
Citizens should just resist them and refuse to cooperate with them. The money should have been spent on roads; Apapa- Oshodi Expressway is one of them,” he said.

In a heated defence, the coordinator of the SURE-P task force, Alhaji Abdul Razak Otto refuted claims that the officers were engaged as a ploy to win the forthcoming elections.
Rafiu, in an interview with newsmen, said the task force was not set up in Lagos only but across the 36 states of the federation without any sinister motive.

According to Otto, the task force officials are to assist the federal government to recover some of its properties in Lagos from illegal occupants as well as maintaining right of way, management of traffic, ensuring adherence of residents to road setbacks and enforcement.

A LASTMA official who does not want to be named told Inside Lagos that the activities of the task force should be curtailed. “Anybody can go and get that their printed T-shirt and claim to be a task
force member. I think they have just opened doors for area boys to operate in Lagos. You can’t tell who is who anymore.

“Many of them are not also skilled in traffic management. You need to see the gridlock they cause,” he said. Reacting to the recent development, Mr. Akinwale Odesanye, who resides in Ketu pointed out that the motives of the SURE-P task force remained unknown until they were given uniforms.

“Even if these task force members are meant to manage the traffic, can’t their managers reach out to the state government on the necessary and needed working synergy, just as it exists between the same LASTMA and other federal owned security and traffic agencies which over the years have been collaborating and working peacefully and harmoniously together?” Odesanye said.
Also commenting on the development, a

transporter, Wasiu Adeife, pointed out that the issue has generated a lot of concern among drivers.
“We don’t know who to relate with again. The LASTMA people used to protect our interests but this SURE-P people are just simply annoying. They control traffic anyhow,” he said.

Another road user, Mrs. Daureen Orogun, pointed out that there is need to delegate the duties between the two agencies properly.
According to her, “Does the SURE-P/FERMA federal task force exist in other states of the federation? If it does, do they operate in a similar manner like they do in Lagos? I doubt ever hearing of such
a case from other parts of the country, if at all it exists.”

A road user who spoke on the condition of anonymity, however, pointed out that the state government was wrong to totally declare them illegal. “A kingdom divided against itself cannot stand. It won’t be. They are both being paid by the government so I think they should cooperate with each other,” she
said.

One of the federal task force officers who spoke to Inside Lagos expressed fear that the agency might be scrapped if the ruling party is no longer in power. “I am afraid of the future. I put in for this job because there are no jobs out there. Do you know how much I spent before I could be employed? I am ust praying that things would turn out well in the end,” she said.