LASTMA OFFICIAL CAUGHT ON VIDEO CAMERA IS ON THE RUN

Governor Babatunde Fashola, of Lagos State has vowed to arrest and prosecute the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, (LASTMA) official (Mr. Michael Ekundayo) caught negotiating bribe inside a citizen’s car whom the governor said had brought disgrace to the outfit.

“I want to first salute the citizen that got the video of the LASTMA officer who was caught negotiating bribe inside a citizen’s car. We must all nail and shame him and we must all use that kind of medium to fish out all the bad eggs in the society and bring them to justice.

Mr. Michael Ekundayo, who is now on the run, was caught on video collecting N8,000 bribe from a motorist

Governor Babatunde Fashola, while addressing  a gathering of professionals and respectable members of the society who constitute volunteers of the Special Traffic Mayor said:  “That LASTMA officer is still on the run and we have declared him wanted. I can assure you today that we will get him. And as soon as we do, we will give him all his rights and he will have his day in court,” he vowed.

On LASTMA, the governor pointed out that its primary responsibility was to keep the state traffic moving, stressing that “this is the reason why the agency exists. Arresting traffic offenders is secondary. If making an arrest will increase the traffic, let the offenders go. I say this not because I don’t want law breakers to be apprehended and brought to justice. But law breakers cannot undermine our main objective.

“The longer people stay more in traffic, the more money is wasted and fuel is burnt and when people stay more in traffic, this leads to increase in the price of goods in the state. But with a moving traffic, price of goods will be stable.”

Fashola explained that the challenge of managing traffic in Lagos State necessitated the need for the meeting with the Special Traffic Mayors, while stressing the need to pay attention to road safety measures for the betterment of all.