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By Christopher Oji
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Adegoke Fayoade, has warned commercial bus drivers, tricycle operators and commercial motorcycle riders to desist from obstructing the flow of traffic in the state as anyone caught violating traffic laws would be arrested and prosecuted.
The CP, who gave the warning, at the weekend, while declaring open a one-day train-the-trainers’ workshop for area traffic officers, urged the traffic officers not to spare any offender.
During the training organised by the Global Transport Policy Training Academy (GTP), in collaboration with the police command in Lagos, Adegoke advised traffic officers to apply emotional intelligence while on duty.
He said: “While on duty, traffic officers should apply emotional intelligence. This is because someone may be in distress. When the officer is controlling traffic and stops vehicles, the officer should look afar and watch if any motorist or passengers are in distress, so he can assist or call for assistance. A woman may be in labour or someone may be sick, so the officer should be vigilant and apply emotional intelligence to see if anyone is in distress. Officers are not there to only control traffic, but to assist the members of the public who are in distress”.
The CP, who was represented by Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr. Paul A Okafor, in the programme with the theme: “Improving Traffic Policing: Leveraging on emotional intelligence skills, said, “it happened recently in Abuja, when some officers controlling traffic applied emotional intelligence and observed that a woman was in labour, and they assisted her to the hospital, and when they arrived the hospital, as the doctors on duty were about to attend to her, she gave birth to the child. I want our officers to understand that if they had not attended to the woman, something outward may have happened. Emotional intelligence is essential in traffic duties”.
ACP Okafor advised road users to always obey and respect traffic officers, saying that they were working for the good interest of all in Lagos State.
“If you obey the officers and they do their duties very well, traffic will move smoothly and everybody will arrive at their homes on time. We really want free flow of traffic. Lagos must move”.
He commended the organisers of the training programme, pointing out that the theme was apt and showed their good thoughts towards the people in Lagos. If you observe the chaotic traffic situation in Lagos, you should appreciate traffic officers who are stressed up keeping vigils for the members of their families. Okafor said the training will go a long way in assisting the police in traffic management through emotional intelligence.
Chairman/Chief Consultant, GTP, Mr Segun Musa, said the purpose of the training was to advance and reshape the traffic situation in Lagos State.
He said the theme: “Improving Traffic Policing: Leveraging on Emotional Intelligence Skills”, was pivotal to ensuring a wholesome engagement of the public. Beyond infrastructural deficit, we have the human element crucial to order and civility. This is where emotional intelligence is crucial. Experts have maintained that if order is not maintained in terms of traffic-related issues, by 2030, Lagos would be losing about $21 billion (about N31.5 trillion) monthly.
“Lagos needs a traffic system that is effective and efficient. As you all know, Lagos presently accommodates at least 40 per cent of the total registered vehicles in Nigeria, with an estimated population of 20 million people,” he noted.
Musa said the train-the-trainer format would enable area traffic officers to train divisional traffic officers for broader impact.
“This strategic partnership is designed to foster robust traffic policing for a saner and productive Lagos. We are also going to train the Nigeria Navy, Air Force, Army on traffic policy.”
