8th August, 2011
Our attention has been drawn to the above headlined opinion article in your paper page nine, Monday, 1st August, 2011 edition, written by Prince Mukaila Apata-Akinsemoyin in which he urged the Lagos State Government to urgently dismantle and reassemble our organization and put a system in place with the aim of creating the right type of corporate culture with intent to reduce the likelihood of corruption and human rights violations.
The fact is that the writer of the article, Prince Mukaila Apata-Akinsemoyin came to my office on Thursday,21st July, 2011 reported to me that his Nephewâ€
Then I took him to KAI Marshal Generalâ€
Prince Akinsemoyin was later informed that the goods he was claiming had been confiscated by the magistrateâ€
It then came to us as a shock to read an uncomplimentary article about our organization written by the man who came to our office for assistance in order to release his relativeâ€
The central issue here which our critic seems to be shying away from, is that of illegal street trading which consequences border on law, safety and security. There are designated market places all around the city where people could trade, but some people have converted the Lagos Roads and streets into markets.
Our problem in Lagos and in Nigeria is the attitude of our people and with law. If you donâ€
The KAI Brigade was established to effectively police and maintain the cleanliness of the Lagos environment, to ensure that there is no illegal trading and dumping of refuse in unauthorised places and above all, take total control of their assigned post. It is a balanced and well organised unit of the Ministry of the Environment. Two Special Mobile Senior Magistrateâ€
We assure Lagosians that any identified bad officer among the organization is weeded out, we are not going to tell you lies but we do not condone such illegal act. As soon as there are substantial evidences to prove any extortion, KAI Marshal General has the power to summarily dismiss that official involved in such gross misconduct, and he does not waste time in flushing out the bad eggs exposed. We do not harbour criminally-minded people that will smear the good name of Lagos State Government.
We face challenges of attacks on our officials by hoodlums and impersonation by some members of the public, that is not to say that there are no bad eggs in the Brigade like any other organisations, but we want to say that we are already restructuring and the Ministry of the Environment is going to make sure that KAI is what it should be.
However, the effectiveness of KAI Brigade in Lagos cannot be overemphasized or overlooked, sanity as well as caution is now the watchword of every Lagosians, the Fear of KAI Brigade is the beginning of wisdom for illegal street traders and hawkers on Lagos streets. Awareness of KAI duties and responsibilities has increased the consciousness to maintain a clean environment especially in our operational areas.
The success recorded in our operations carried out in Oshodi, Mile 12, Ketu, Aladiyo, Onipanu, Aswani, Obalende, Victoria Island, Airport Road, Agege Railway, Surulere, Apapa, among others has proved to both local and the international community that no matter the magnitude or the deplorable state of any area, the violating and political sentiment attached to such areas; the Brigade is capable of enforcing sanity and compliance with the environmental sanitation laws to any needed level and all these have contributed tremendously to the development of the Lagos environment.
•Olusesi is PRO, KAI brigade