When the Tinubu administration introduced LASTMA {Lagos state traffic management authority}, it was to manage the chaotic traffic situation in Lagos.
As it always happen to any good intended policy, Nigerians have a way of turning it upside down for their selfish interest.
Its a pity to say the least what happened today at ojuelegba when a LASTMA official lost his life.
Anybody who is frequent around Ojuelegba knows there are couple of road constructions going on around the area {kudos to Governor Fashola}.
A commercial bus who because of the construction stopped to drop a passenger where the LASTMA officer must have frowned at took off in order to escape arrest and in a bid to arrest the bus his life was cut short.
Eye witness account has it that the heavy duty machine carrying a slab was at work when LASTMA officer was running after the commercial bus. The red flag alert which normally signals danger was up and everybody stayed away from the caterpillar but the LASTMA officer was not aware of the danger. He ran into the heavy duty machine and died on the spot.
One is not condoning the attitude of the commercial driver but it should be noted that there are better ways to handle such situation. Personally i have witnessed a situation where police officer and LASTMA officer were dragging the steering wheel with the driver of a fully loaded commercial bus popularly called molue.
If not for selfish motive, situations like this could be avoided. All the law enforcement officer needs to do is get the registration number of the vehicle and this will safe life of the driver, passengers, the law officer and other road users.
What is your advise to other law officer to avoid situations like this.
There are 2 interpretations of the same law, the interpretation for the common man and the one for the rich, influential and powerful.
These could be best understood if you live in Nigeria where people that steals or are alleged to have stolen cars, mobile phones, purse, bikes etc are paraded by the police in front of the camera and on the pages of news papers. On the other hand, people in public office who evidence shows that the kind of wealth they find themselves during and after public office can not be tied to their salaries are allowed to roam the street and flaunt such ill gotten wealth.
A popular saying goes does "everyday for the thief and one day for the house owner". This saying aptly described what happened in Opebi Lagos on 23/01/09.
A senior mobile officer was driving against the traffic along Oregun Opebi link road when another senior police officer stopped him.I am sure he will not have believed there is anybody with such effrontery to call him to order after all he is the "law "
People waited and were thinking this will be one of the usual esprit the corp kind of situation but alas it was not.
I later got to know that the man that arrested the police officer{s} is actually Mr Odumosu {i don't know his rank in the police}. His action was not at all surprising because of his antecedent when he headed the environmental task force during the last administration in Lagos state.
Swiftly after blocking the officer's car driving against the traffic he called his men, though it took some time before they got to the scene. All the appeal by the erring officer fell on deaf ears as he just stood looking at them.
Trust Lagosians especially okada {bike riders}, we were all waiting for the outcome of the situation. We did not have to wait too long as the enforcement team arrived like S.W.A.T and arrested the officers like a common criminal.
Shout of jubilation was in the air and the people considered it a victory for the average man who the police will not spare if found in such situation.
I could not get the kind of photo shot i wanted because the police around were watching one them actually pointed a gun at me to stop taking pictures.
This will go along way to tell people in authority especially law enforcement agencies that there is somebody watching.
This is new Lagos and we have a lawyer in the helm of affairs. Eko oni baje o {Lagos will not go bad}
