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Kayode Ojewale
Ensuring free and unhindered flow of traffic on Lagos roads is a collective responsibility of all motorists and road users. However, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority(LASTMA) officials are mandated to enforce traffic laws and manage traffic situations. In carrying out their duties as traffic managers on the roads, LASTMA officers are daily exposed to the risks and hazards that accompany the job.
Every job arguably comes with attendant risks but in various degrees. But for the Lagos traffic managers, the risks involved in their jobs are mainly from activities and occurrences on the road as duty demands. Cases of deaths and injuries occasioned by accidents, unruly armed and trigger-happy security agents, errant and violent motorists and other traffic violators have been recorded in time past concerning officials of LASTMA.
Some concerned Lagosians have, in defence of these unarmed traffic controllers, and on grounds of the tragic occurrences befalling them, called for improved protective measures to be put in place against any form of physical attack or assault on them when on duty. Some have proposed the use of light weapons by LASTMA officers on the road to serve as protective means of defence. Others have suggested deployment of military personnel to every junction and intersection where LASTMA officers are positioned.
Many cases of deaths of LASTMA officers and others who were rendered incapacitated in their lines of duty abound. In May this year, a LASTMA officer, MrKehindeSonaike, was knocked off the Third Mainland Bridge and into the lagoon by an over-speeding reckless driver. The hit-and-run driver sped off. Sonaike was assisting a motorist whose car broke down when he was hit. He was eventually rescued by fishermen and divers who promptly swung into action to save his life. Thank goodness Sonaike lives to tell the story.
It will also be recalled that in March this year, at Ikorodu, in what seemed to be one of the scenes from a Nollywood movie, SerikiAdeyinka, a female LASTMA officer, was hit by a taxi driver who sped off while she fell and hung on to the bonnet of the car on the highway. The heartless driver was eventually overtaken, intercepted and stopped by an eyewitness who drove behind before he was apprehended. Sereki escaped being carelessly killed by the wicked taxi driver who violated traffic law and attempted to evade arrest. Sometime this year, it was reported that a tricycle rider allegedly assaulted a LASTMA officer, MrAyodeleOmotosho, at Aguda B/Stop, Ogba. The accused was later charged to a Magistrate Court for the alleged offence.A similar case was also reported in January 2019, at Ajayi Farm area of Ikeja. The LASTMA officer by the name, A. Oladimeji was hit by a tricycle operator driving against traffic. Statistics in 2018 alone revealed that 18 LASTMA officers were killed and 24 others injured and maimed. These officers have fallenvictims of accidents, violent attacks by motorists and some trigger-happy security agents. The Lagos traffic managers appear to be endangered when on the road, especially with the recent happenings. In May 2019, a female LASTMA officer, FolashadeArogundade, was crushed by a truck at Apapa. She was hit when overseeing the evacuation of articulated vehicles from the road. The truck was on reverse direction by the driver without Arogundade’s knowledge. Sadly, she was killed while performing her lawful duty of traffic management. It was also reported some months ago, that one DamilareAdeshina was pushed off a truck when he attempted to apprehend the driver who drove against traffic at Agip/Odejobi area of Agege.
In November 2019, LASTMA lost two of its men to violent attacks from heartless members of the public. Ola Oyeshina was stoned to death atIganmu-Sifax axis of Apapa, while Amos Adebisi was also knocked down by a hit-and-run driver at Idiroko area of Ikorodu road. Adebisi later died due to deep bruises he sustained on his face and arms as he couldn’t survive it.
Records revealed that these sad occurrences have lately increased and the state government isn’t folding its arms in silence. Stern warnings have been doled out to members of the public as stiffer penalties await violent traffic offenders who attack authorized traffic officers on duty.
Some Governors hardly do anything substantial to improve the welfare of their workers except they are compelled to do so. However, Governor BabajideSanwo-Olu of Lagos stands out and has proved to be different from others as he boosted the morale of LASTMA officers with a pay rise in their monthly hazard allowance upon his assumption of duty. The pay increase which took effect from July 2019, laid credence to the current administration’s pursuit of making traffic management and transportation number one in its six pillars of developmental agenda for the state. This is a reflection of the Governor’s commitment to a better welfare for civil servants in the state. That action undoubtedly spurred LASTMA officers to be more committed and dedicated to work despite the risk involved in their job.
EngrOlajideOduyoye, LASTMA’s General Manager, who preaches civility to his men from time to time in their dealings with the motoring public, expects road users, especially motorists to be law-abiding as these traffic laws were made in the interest of the general public. LASTMA, which is few months shy of 20 years of its establishment, might not have totally eradicated traffic congestion due to the growing population of the state, but it has lived up to expectation in easing traffic gridlock at certain areas with bottlenecks and high vehicular influx. With the recent increase in the workforce by the addition of a thousand new officers, LASTMA boasts of more manpower to cover more areas. It therefore means that it canonly get better with that numerical advantage of more officers to the traffic agency. The argument by some Lagosians that LASTMA officers only extort and collect bribes on the roads, and that they have not made any significant impact in easing traffic congestion in Lagos does not hold water because non-signalised junctions are usually manned by these officers.
In reality and except for the bad eggs among LASTMA officials,it is only the unruly, reckless and lawless drivers in Lagos who will always have polite confrontational encountersand issues with the yellow and maroon color uniformed officers who in turn make them face the wrath of the law.
Ojewale writes via [email protected]
