Fashola: Men-in-Black on Lagos roads for sinister agenda

Fashola: Men-in-Black on Lagos roads for sinister agenda

Tuesday, November 4, 2014 10:50 pm


TaskForce men and women: motive must be for something sinister, says Fashola

TaskForce men and women: motive must be for something sinister, says Fashola

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Tuesday said the men and women in black uniforms now deployed by the Federal Government on the State’s and federal roads reportedly to manage traffic, are there for motives other than controlling traffic.

He said by the provisions of the law only LASTMA and the Federal Road Safety Commission have the right to do so.

He thus condemned the creation of a parallel and unlawful traffic agency to manage traffic on State and Federal roads in Lagos, saying such creation amounted to a misuse of the Subsidy Re-investment and Empowerment (SURE-P) programme funds.

The Governor noted that since the authorized traffic agencies are fully on ground in the State, the deployment of some men and women in black uniforms on the same roads must be for purposes other than traffic management.

He expressed regrets that instead of re-investing the fund, saved from fuel subsidy, it is now being dissipated on political organizations in wanton desperation to win elections adding that such misuse of the funds was a total departure from its purpose of improving the lives of Nigerians.

•Gov Babatunde Fashola

•Gov Babatunde Fashola


Governor Fashola told newsmen, “It is for Nigerians and Lagosians to now ask themselves honestly whether the Federal Government and President have been honest with us, because they said this SURE- P money, would be used to improve the life of Nigerians”.

On the activities of the men in black uniforms on Lagos and Federal roads, the Governor said, “I know that in the season of elections, you will see all sorts of misbehaviour. The reports were brought to me that they were men of FERMA, I think that is what they have done with SURE-P money.

“They told us that the savings were going to be used to improve our lives, so you see how it is improving our lives, setting up an organization that has no law two or three months before elections; an organization that does nothing”, he said pointing out that SURE-P money should be going into the repair of Federal Highways in the State such as the Tin-Can Island – Apapa- Oshodi Expressway where, according to him, a container fell and crushed a car on Monday as a result of the dilapidated nature of the road.

Warning Lagosians that the black uniformed men may be on the roads to precipitate confusion, Governor Fashola declared, “This is a method that has been tried before in 2006 and the results it produced were roundly defeated; so if they go back to a method that does not work, we will not be provoked, we expect that at some point in time commonsense will prevail”.

“They have no right to manage traffic ; the only agencies empowered by law to manage traffic in Lagos is LASTMA and Federal Road Safety on Federal roads, and citizens should just resist them and refuse to cooperate with them”, the Governor said.


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