All patrol officers and other personnel of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority and Kick Against Indiscipline are to undergo periodic training to keep them abreast of the latest development in traffic management and how best to discharge their duties.
The training, according to the Special Assistant to Lagos State Governor on Transport Education, Dr. Mariam Masha, will be carried out by the state Law Enforcement Institute.
She added that the programme, which would be extended to members of the state’s Neghbourhood Watch, was to inculcate in the officers a sense of community service and achieve law enforcement with a human face.
She stressed that the focus on the three institutions was because of their pivotal roles in ensuring free movement and making the metropolis work.
Mariam, who spoke with our correspondent on the telephone on Monday, said the training programme started last year following continuous criticisms from members of the motoring public against the activities of some LASTMA and KAI officials in enforcing traffic and environmental sanitation regulations.
She said about 2,400 personnel of LASTMA and KAI had so far participated in the first set of training programme, which also involved the use of religious leaders and relevant experts as resource persons.
She said, “We have observed frequent friction between motorists and LASTMA officials; people think they (LASTMA personnel) are aggressive; and we don’t want that.
“We are encouraging them to adopt more human and acceptable approach to enforce the law.”
Masha said the capacity enhancement programme would involve about 2,749 traffic operatives, 1,011 KAI’s officers and 4,156 neighbourhood watchers.
“We will continue to invest in manpower and build capacity of our officials; we will always find one or two infractions but there are channels now for people to raise issues, either to complain or commend,” she said.
In all, about 7, 916 law enforcement officers are expected to undergo the career evaluation training programme.
Governor Babatunde Fashola had said at the opening of the training programme that it was designed to inculcate in each of the participants the core values of integrity, professionalism and respect for every citizen.
“This evaluation programme has been particularly designed for the law enforcement officers. It will be as successful as you allow it to be; you are the one that will need to take what you learn during the training and put it to good use on the field,” said the governor.
Masha explained further that education, enlightenment and voluntary compliance were the new methods being emphasised at the training session.
She noted that some LASTMA and KAI officials were already applying the new principles, adding that it had been effective.
“We are showing the law enforcement officers that their uniform is not to show power but it is a symbol of authority and trust; it is for them to know that they are in that position to serve the people; and to do that work effectively, the people must trust them,” she said.
Reports of intermittent clashes involving LASTMA, KAI and members of the public, especially drivers have bearing on alleged extortion and overzealousness have almost beclouded the essence of introducing the agencies by the state government.
Some commercial vehicle drivers, including tanker drivers in the state had withdrawn their services to protest against what they considered highhanded and extortionist tendencies of LASTMA officials.
The state government, however, said it would not allow a few bad eggs that existed within the agencies to pull down the organisations and kill the initiative behind their creation, which it stressed was aimed at sanitising the society.
It said it was carrying out an internal reoganisation, which had led to the flushing out of many recalcitrant officers that were giving the organisations a bad name.
About 50 officers were reportedly dismissed after an assessment of the performance of the LASTMA personnel.
Masha said the training was part of the work in progress, adding that both the programme along with the reorganisation would be a continuous exercise.
The laxity is not limited to LASTMA, she said, hence the reason for extending the whole programme to KAI and Neighbourhood Watch.
Recently, it will be recalled that a pregnant woman, Mrs. Nkechi Omakagu, claimed she was unjustifiably detained and manhandled by some operatives of KAI, a situation that made her to lose her pregnancy.
This drew the attention of the state’s Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, who ordered an investigation into the allegation.
The Office of the Public Defender later took over the matter. And the state government promised a fair treatment.
A statement by the state government said, “We remain committed to unravelling what actually happened in order to establish the link between her arrest and alleged loss of pregnancy, which she claimed she suffered as a result.”
Masha said law enforcement “is not about the use of force and abuse of people’s rights”.
She stressed that the ongoing reforms in LASTMA, KAI and Neighbourhood Watch would avert such crisis in future and engender a transformation of the entire system.
She urged members of the public to show a great deal of understanding in dealing with the situation and work with the government in improving the quality of life in the state.