Governor Ambode

By Eromosele Ebhomele.

Some members of the Lagos State House of Assembly have advised the state Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, to convene a stakeholders’ meeting where discussions on the current rise in insecurity in the state would lead to an effective solution.

Residents of the state have continued to raise alarm over the increase in criminal activities around major areas of the state including on traffic.

The governor, during a live interview on a Lagos-based radio station, revealed that the state government was in the process of procuring three helicopters to combat crime in the state.

But the lawmakers suggested holding a meeting with relevant bodies and individuals to fashion a way out of the challenge. Saka Fafunmi from Ifako/Ijaiye Constituency 1, while supporting the suggestion, added that the rising rate of crime in the state was part of the problem of mega-city.

He also accused officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, of trying to sabotage the effort of the government to create a conducive atmosphere for motorists in the state because such officials may not have been comfortable with the governor’s review of their activities.

“I expect that the Lagos State Task Force should step up their activities, we should feel their presence. The Governor is not the one controlling the security agencies directly. He needs to bring all the stakeholders in the security sector together to collectively improve on what is being delivered through the security Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF). There is need for the state to harmonize all the security agencies. The task force needs to be up and doing, the LSSTF too should follow suit. The Governor has not and would not give a directive that is against the laws of the House. The laws of the House and those of the federation are what he swore to defend. When he told LASTMA officials that they are not a revenue generating agency, he was absolutely right. He told the officials of the agency to do their job and ensure free flow of traffic on Lagos roads throughout. This is one of the best pieces of advice that any democratic government can offer,” Fafunmi noted.

Fafunmi stated that the law did not say that LASTMA officials should not caution motorists when they go out of order or that they cannot arrest erring motorists. What the governor said was that it was wrong for LASTMA officials to apprehend a motorist and sit behind the wheels of the vehicle. Also, they should not use their office as a means of extorting money from the people.

“If all of them are tired, they should just resign from the job. The Governor’s directive came because of their level of corruption, it is not the governor’s fault and I know that the Governor is thinking of re-organising and re-branding LASTMA amongst other agencies in the state. He would address all the issues,” Fafunmi added.

He suggested that spots for criminal activities and hideouts should be identified. “The Governor should address the issue of insecurity and the gridlock in the state. When there is free flow of traffic, it would be difficult for these boys to operate. I was robbed twice even as a lawmaker during the tenure of former governor Babatunde Raji Fashola. The criminals stay at dark areas and where you have traffic light; once the traffic light shows red, they would come around to attack you. This is why people don’t want to obey traffic light sometimes,” he said.

In his view, Olawale Olayiwola from Mushin Constituency 2 linked the rise of criminal activities in the state to the last general elections. “Now that a new government is in place, they would want to come up with a new strategy. The measure put in place by the new governor is to curb the excesses of LASTMA officials actually demoralised them, which was why we invited the General Manager of LASTMA to appear before the House. The whole thing is being sanitised as the LASTMA GM has started penalising those, who violate the traffic laws, a military official was even arrested recently,” he said.