Lagos To Curb LASTMA Officials’ Excesses

The Lagos State Government has been worried by the unbecoming attitude of some officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, while controlling traffic on roads.

Some LASTMA officials in some occasions fight with motorists on highways, use foul language on people and exhibit aggressive traits of on motorists.

Such unbecoming attitudes have dented the image of the authority. Some members of public see LASTMA officers as enemies rather than friends because of their manner of approach.

In a bid to curb such excesses, the government last week organised a two-day Non-Aggressive Enforcement Training for LASTMA officials and the Vehicle Inspection Officers, VIOs, at the Lagos State Educational and Resource Centre, Ojodu, Lagos, south west Nigeria.

About 200 senior officers of LASTMA and VIOs attended the training meant to reposition the outfits.

The training sought to erase from the memory of LASTMA officers aggressive behaviours while on duty. It is to create LASTMA-motorists friendly relationship and rebrand the image of the authority.

Mr. Sesan Awonoibi, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Universal Anchor Limited, was the trainer. He spoke on Enforcement without Aggression in the 21st Century.

He said if LASTMA continued to carry out enforcement with aggression, it would promote bad press and public relation image; low productivity, public mistrust, low morale and enforcement challenges.

On positive enforcement strategies, Awonoibi said LASTMA officials needed to embrace professional politeness during traffic enforcement; public and civil respect and understand motorists’ intention, among others.

Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, said the training was conceived in February, when Governor Babatunde Fashola visited the LASTMA office, adding that law enforcement should not be done with aggression.

“In the last four years, we have been working on the mentality of Lagosians and let them know that we pay LASTMA officers from the money they pay as tax. You need to be polite while you are controlling traffic. You need to wear a smiling face.

“Bring out the skills and strategies that will make people forget their sorrows. In the last four years, we have built the best traffic management system in Africa. I know why you are aggressive; your uniform is an authority for you to enforce the law. The complaints from people are that you are too harsh and that you should be soft,” he said.

Chief Executive Officer, LASTMA, Mr. Young Arebamen, lamented that some LASTMA officers were not taking the training serious, saying; “They are trying to remake you but you are trying to remain in your old garb. Your minds are not open.

“The greatest problem of human being is ignorance and if you don’t know that, it is a problem. If you fail to get the knowledge here, you have a problem. How do you change yourself so that you can serve the public better?

“If you are not changed, you cannot change the other man. When you wear this uniform, drop your ego. Tell me the law that said you should collect the key of a road user? If you say you must arrest and you die in the process, the world will not fall,” he stated.