11 LASTMA Officers Found Guilty Of Corrupt Practices By Lagos Disciplinary Panel

A disciplinary panel of three Permanent Secretaries has found 11 officers of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) guilty of corrupt practices out of 12 officers arraigned before it.

One officer was exonorated by the panel’s report.

The panel, which has since forwarded its recommendations to the state Civil Service Commission for ratification in line with the Public Service Rules, recommended various punishments ranging from dismissal, reduction in rank and Immediate termination of appointment from the State Public Service.

The Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, Adebayo Taofiq who confirmed this on Friday, said the Acting General Manager of the agency, Bakare Oki Olalekan, warned officers and men of LASTMA that stiff and severe punishment would continued to be meted out on corrupt ones to weed the agency of few bad elements tarnishing its image.

“Operatives of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) on Thursday, 30th of November, 2023 arraigned 12 Officers before Disciplinary Panel for various Offenses bothering on corrupt practices and absenteeism in line with the extant rules as guided by the Lagos State Civil Service Rules and Regulations.

“The Acting General Manager of LASTMA Mr. Bakare Oki Olalekan disclosed that the disciplinary panel which was statutorily constituted with three (3) Permanent Secretaries in attendance adjudicated cases of corrupt practices levied (sic) against these 12 Officers and forwarded their recommendations to the State Civil Service Commission for ratification in line with the Public Service Rules.

“Mr. Bakare Oki confirmed that the panel recommended various punishments ranging from dismissal, reduction in rank and Immediate termination of appointment from the State Public Service,” Adebayo said.

“The General Manager hereby warned all Officers of the Agency to always carry out their duties without fear or favour in accordance with the stipulated laws guiding the authority as any operative caught in the process of bringing the Agency or the Government into disrepute shall equally face the consequence

“While commending Lastma Officials for their dedication, dutifulness, diligence and professionalism, Bakare Oki however, warned the motoring public to stop inducing traffic personnel with bribes in order to avoid been prosecuted as the law frowned on both the ‘giver and the receiver’,” he added.

According to Adebayo, the LASTMA boss further called on residents of the state to support the agency in the on-going restructuring by promptly reporting any errant officers via any of the agency’s complaints hotlines with proof of evidence.