‘Traffic, Environmental Laws Have Come To Stay’

The Chairman, Task force on Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit, Bayo Sulaiman(SP) has reiterated the Lagos State government’s resolve to implement the state’s traffic and environment laws.

He made this known  to P.M.NEWS in his office at Alausa recently, saying that the implementation of the laws was for the security, safety and protection of Nigerians and Lagosians in particular.

On the rumour that the state government may soon backdown on the clampdown on commercial motorcyclists popularly known as okada riders on political grounds, the chairman refuted the rumour, stating that with the huge sums of money the state government has spent so far in the sensitisation of its citizens on the laws, there was no way the state would backdown on it.

“Listen, these laws are for the good and safety of the citizens. We are not out to witch-hunt any one. The laws were not made because the state hates them (commercial motorcyclists, street traders and miscreants), but we must be proactive in the protection of lives and prevention of crimes in the society.

“As a committed government, that is what the state has done for its citizens. If they (okada riders and others) refuse to live obey the law, there is no way we will not prosecute them,” he stated.

Sulaiman added: “Everyone can testify positively to what the laws have done—the low crime rate, free traffic flow and general safety and orderly manner of people in the state, within the few months of the implementation of the laws.”

He stated that those whose businesses have been affected negatively turned out to be so because the only constant thing in life is change.

“They should appreciate and adapt to the new way of life in the state. That is the reality,” Sulaiman advised.

The Taskforce chairman added that with the gazetting of  the law, there was no way government was going to backdown on it, stating that the fact that the laws have been gazetted, shows how serious the state government is about their implementation.

“Apart from this, the state has also sunk huge sums of money in the fight against miscreants and other forms of lawlessness in the state,” he revealed.

On touting and impersonations within the taskforce premises, Sulaiman posited that he was unawares, but stated that these things could happen as a result of the people’s familiarity with the terrain. He assured that if and when such elements are caught, they would be dealt with ruthlessly.

—Ufforth Shallom