For some reason, in the past week, the Lagos state propaganda machine has made a hue and a dance about the Governor making a harsh example of some uniformed personnel and another hapless fellow who had been driving against traffic along the Airport road in Lagos.
Accounts have it that a gentleman in army uniform had, in an apparent bid to beat traffic, decided to drive against traffic on the said road. Like proper Lagosians, others had gone the same way, only to experience the mortal bad luck of running into the governor during this less than wholesome venture. A slap on the wrist might have been enough, particularly as a uniformed man is involved, but Mr. Governor decided to have their vehicles impounded and they prosecuted. His press corp then decided that this action ought to reach the awareness of every Nigerian home and abroad.
Ironically, one of the outgoing governor’s greatest achievements is the reform of the State’s Traffic Management Authority, popularly known as LASTMA. Even as far back as on the campaign trail, Ambode had made clear his displeasure about the way the agency was being run- as a body populated by seemingly glorified area boys and girls all trussed up in their smart, gloriously yellow uniforms.
Their dispositions, in general, had been nowhere as sunny as their outfits and, seemingly enabled by the Fashola administration, they ran roughshod over all in their path- quite literally. There were rumours that they had been given targets with a view to boosting the state’s famous IGR, a task which they attacked with uncommon gusto, and many times to their peril. Read more
