200 LASTMA Officers Face Sack

At least 200 officers of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, Southwest Nigeria,  have been recommended for dismissal for various offences committed by the officers.

P.M.NEWS gathered that the names of the affected officers have been forwarded to the Civil Service Commission for outright dismissal.

The Civil Service Commission, it was gathered, is still considering the recommendation from the LASTMA authorities to sack the erring officers who were accused of committing various offences, such as corruption, indiscipline, overzealousness, among others.

For some time, hundreds LASTMA officers were frequently seen at the state government secretariat to face the Personnel Management Board, PMB, which is the disciplinary organ of the government.

A top government source confirmed to P.M.NEWS that the LASTMA authorities were only awaiting the approval of the recommendation by the Civil Service Commission before sack letters would be issued to the affected officers.

The Lagos State Government had made it clear that it would not tolerate any form of corruption and overzealousness from any LASTMA officer as it enters the next phace of reforming the outfit for better service delivery and to enforce the new road traffic law.

The new road traffic law also recommends outright dismissal of LASTMA officers found to be collecting gifts and bribe in the course of performing their official duties across the Lagos metropolis.

Chairman, LASTMA, Young Arebamen said rather than the public attacking LASTMA officers for misdeed, they should report such officers to the authorities for investigation and punishment if found guilty.

Meanwhile, 12 LASTMA officers have been killed in Lagos State in the last nine months while performing their duties.

Statistics obtained from the LASTMA Headquarters in Oshodi, Lagos revealed that 12 officers of the Authority were killed between January and September 2012 through various means.

Some of the officers were killed by hit and run drivers and some attacked by hoodlums, among others.

According to Arebamen, the government has insurance package for officers who lose their lives during the course of performing their duties and that government has put in place measures to pay such officers their benefits.

Also, LASTMA General Manager, Babatunde Edu lamented the high rate of attack on LASTMA officials, saying that people should not always blame the officers for everything.

—Kazeem Ugbodaga