The Lagos State Government, days back, asked the Federal Government to, as a matter of urgency, call to order all its agencies including the Federal Emergency Road Management Agency (FERMA) over their various activities in the State which, according to the government, constitute both environmental nuisance and a danger to road users. Addressing an inter-Ministerial Press Conference at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, Ikeja, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ade Ipaye, listed the activities to include taking over traffic control on highways, illegal and indiscriminate placement of bill boards and painting of road kerbs in green and white, saying these activities constitute a breach of the nation’s Constitution. The Commissioner, who was accompanied by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Aderemi Ibirogba and his Transportation counterpart, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, among others, said for the fifth time in recent times, a faceless group of men and women dressed in black uniforms had on Thursday taken over some highways in the State, aided by four armed policemen purporting to be controlling traffic, a job which is legitimately performed by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA). Recalling that the State Government has made series of complaints in the past about the activities of the faceless men, Ipaye said on one of the occasions when a policeman was attacked by the group, the Police made some arrests adding, however, that since then the activities have continued. The Commissioner, who noted that there was no record of any employment letter, regulations, laws or a Federal circular that pointed to the establishment of the group, said the concern of the State Government was based on the probability that criminals and hoodlums could also wear the uniform and perpetrate criminal activities under such cover.
On the issue of painting of road kerbs in green and white instead of the internationally standardized and Constitutionally recognized national road colour code of white and black or yellow and black, Ipaye, who recalled that the painting was first noticed in 2014, said aside debasing the National colours, the painting has put the lives of motorists in the State in danger. The Commissioner, who recalled that when the incident of 2014 happened, the issue was reported to the Zonal Coordinator of FERMA and the exercise was stopped, declared, “We are, however, shocked that against all global best practices and our National Highway code, the Federal Authorities have gone so low as to debase our National colours and to put the lives of motoring Lagos Public in danger”. According to him, “Best practice requires two contrasting colours of White and Black or Yellow and Black. We believe that the exercise is aimed to show Federal might and to intimidate the people of Lagos State”.Ipaye, who also spoke on the issue of illegal and indiscriminate placing of advertisements on the roads and highways in the State, said these were done without regards to the laws and regulations guiding such placements in the State, pointing out that placement of bill boards are “subject of regulation to ensure that the safety of the road users are not compromised”.
He explained that the placement of adverts and bill boards constitutionally fell under the purview of Local Governments, who he said use the funds to augment the meagre allocation they get from the Federation Account which stands at about 20 percent for the 774 local governments in the country. The Commissioner stressed further, “While the Federal Government has 52 percent, local governments, 774 of them, all share just about 20 percent. This is inadequate, so they are expected to raise money from things like the advertisements we are talking about. “So, for a big government to come and say because its infrastructure is located in a particular local government, it would give advertisers a blanket permit to put whatever they like on it without liability to pay anything to the local government is a total breach of the constitution and it shows a disregard for law and order”. Also present at the occasion were the General Manager of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Mr. Babatunde sEdu, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media, Mr. Hakeem Bello, top government officials from the Ministries of Transportation and Justice as well as other stakeholders.