21st February, 2012
In the wake of Boko Haram attacks in the country, Governor Babatunde Fashola has bemoaned the lack of adequate security at the Government Secretariat, Alausa in Ikeja, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria.
The governor said as it is now, lives and property were not fully secured and issued an executive order ordering the Ministry of Transportation to immediately clear the public car park, hitherto used as a dumping ground for impounded vehicles owned by traffic offenders by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA within seven days.
The executive order signed personally by the governor said that an alternative location should be provided for the abandoned vehicles.
“The Chief of Staff to the Governor, the Permanent Secretary, Lands Bureau and the Commissioner for Transportation are to work together to ensure immediate implementation,” he ordered.
According to Fashola’s order, “I have observed with grave concern, the lack of adequate security measures in place to check movement into and out of the secretariat, resulting in a high level of human and vehicular traffic within and around the secretariat.
“The situation is even more worrisome in the light of prevailing security challenges and the spate of bomb attacks in some parts of the country.
“In order therefore to ensure the protection of lives and property within and around the secretariat, it has become necessary to introduce precautionary measure,” he stated.
According to Fashola, henceforth, only vehicles with official stickers would be allowed to park within the secretariat, saying such stickers shall be provided only for the commissioners, special advisers, permanent secretaries, members of staff and identified official and utility vehicles.
“All other vehicles shall be parked in the public car park. The stickers will be produced and distributed only by the Public Service Office, whose responsibility it will be to ensure that there is no abuse,” he said.
Fashola said to curb the unacceptable practice of trading, touting and soliciting for money around the secretariat, the Chief Security Officer and the Chairman, Task Force shall ensure regular patrol of the secretariat to apprehend all violators and prosecute them accordingly.
“All religious activities within the secretariat are hereby prohibited, including the conduct of Muslim prayers behind the Ministry of Justice and behind the Ministry of Tourism and Inter-Governmental Relations.
“All devotees are now to use the Cathedral Mosque and the Chapel of Christ the Light respectively, which have been provided for these purposes,” he ordered.
Fashola also ordered that the unauthorised use of official number plates should be prohibited immediately, saying that for the avoidance of doubt, “it is a criminal act and a breach of security for members of staff to affix official number plates for their private vehicles. Offenders will be punished.”
According to the governor, “the order is intended only to improve the internal management of the state government. It is not intended to, nor does it create any substantial or procedural rights or benefits enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the Lagos State Government, its departments, agencies or entities or its officers, employees, agents or any other person whatsoever.”
—Kazeem Ugbodaga