….Says 80% of drivers takes drugs
The chairman, Task Force, Lagos State Environmental and Social Offences (Enforcement) unit, CSP Shola Jejeloye has said that in ensuring the state is free from crimes, hoodlums and other kind of menace and social vices in order to ensure law and order are being obeyed, its decisions are irreversible.
In an exclusive interview with Gatmash News in his office during the week, Jejeloye said: “We are trying to put in our best ensuring that law and order are being obeyed in Lagos state. Aside the fact that law and order must be obeyed; the protection of lives and property is equally one of our primary responsibilities. And in a situation whereby law and order are not being obeyed, then lives and property cannot be protected. That’s one of the reasons why we have decided to make our decision irreversible in ensuring that the state is free from crimes, hoodlums and other kinds of menace and social vices. The responsibility of this office is multifaceted in the sense that as you’re trying to control things on this end, another one is springing up; different one entirely is springing up from another direction. But, like I said, it is not reversible; our decisions are not to rest on our ass but to continue to put in the whole of our strength”.
The chairman hints about the agency plans to want to move from enforcement to social offences and to environmental so that irrespective of your personality, you will feel the impact of the agency.
“Shortly before you came, we were actually deliberating, not only traffic offences because we will not make our work to be limited to enforcement alone. When it is limited to enforcement alone that means it is only miscreants that we are dealing with; its only okada (motorcycle) riders we are dealing with, its only bus drivers we are dealing with or road users we are dealing with. We want to take it into the interior of Lagos where an ordinary market woman will feel our impact. Hawkers on the road will feel our impacts, where people that reside in their various locality will feel our impacts as well. That’s another dimension we are looking at. I will not go deeply into it but when the time comes, you will be part of it. It’s not going to be an enforcement program alone. We want to move from enforcement to social offences to environmental, these three can work simultaneously” he said.
CSP Shola Jejeloye has attributed misuse of power and spread of fake news as corruption stressing that the interest of the agency comes first before his. “One thing we realise is that a lot of us are looking for attention but all of us should not focus on that. Some of us should still be able to use the little knowledge and experience we’ve had to be a vehicle of change. When we say corruption, it’s not only by taking money from Mr. A and keeping it in your pocket or diverting Mr. A’s money into your account. It’s not only money that’s the means of corruption, misuse of power is corruption; spreading fake news is equally corruption because you have corrupted the system that you are part of.
As a seated here, whatever I do irrespective of its positive or negative, it’s on the agency. It’s not on me so I should put the interest of the agency first not my own interest. I should put the name of the agency first because we all represent the agency here, aside from the fact that we are ambassadors of our various families but that of the agency comes first, the reputation comes first”.
The tall light skinned police officer use the opportunity to call on celebrities and Lagosians to be an advocate of discipline to the youths, who will be trained as Medical Doctors, Engineers etc instead of wasting money going abroad to hire engineers to come and construct our roads.
“Please let’s begin to be an advocate of discipline. We should be a good advocate to the youths, to these people that are coming up. Who will be trained as medical doctors, engineers instead of wasting money going to Russia, Germany to bring engineers to come and construct our roads? “Who will do that work when all of them want to turn to Naira Marley? What is the meaning of celebrity? I don’t know the meaning. In those days, celebrities are those that make sacrifices for the society, they install morals into the society. Not now. The only morals we enjoy now is just naked life, very naked life.
You can see the people that have been arraigned today, check their ages, and compare the age of some of us here deliberating on what will make Lagos move forward. But see their ages, people that are supposed to be busy thinking of how their future will look like, you see them clubbing, they don’t work but you see them spending at the club and the moment you try to stop them to rebuke them, no you are the enemy. That’s why when you tell me you were arrested at midnight I don’t pick. If I am in my house, or do you think I don’t like to enjoy myself. Am in my house thinking of how to face hurdles the following day and that has already suppressed me and you are enjoying life and your father is calling me to see how I can help. How would I help; there’s no way I can help. So that’s why I always say any day they will arrest them let it be on Friday, the magistrates must have travelled on Saturday. That way you will not say I’ve detained you more than 24 hours.
My wife has never requested any favour from me since I joined the police force, but when I became chairman, Task Force, some people got to know and her best friend called her that they have detained her brother. My wife told me and I told her there’s nothing I can do. And as God will have it, I told her you’re requesting for one person, by the time I decided to release him, he might be having four friends inside the cell with him before you know it. By the time she sent me feedback, it was 5 names and I said no way. I didn’t want to do it before; you can see it’s beyond me because I can’t release 5 persons”, Jejeloye reiterated.
When asked if there’s an orientation arm of the agency that instead of arresting first offenders corrects the offender to avoid them languishing in cell, the Task Force boss has this to say: “The first point whereby a diver will know the Do’s and DON’Ts of driving on the road and complying with traffic laws is in the driving school. That’s why they say before you can drive, you must go through a driving school to undergo a driving test and the rudiments must have been learnt. As we talk in this country, that’s why you see the university commission having problems because of databases. There has not been a single database in this country and the only way you can always establish that you’re a first, second or third offender and really get access to it is through a good database. So if we can’t have a database at this point we’ve not been able to afford it, then right from training in the driving school, you must have known that when you want to carry passengers, you go to the bus stop to carry passengers. If you must carry passengers, don’t obstruct another vehicle from passing”.
Speaking on the use of drugs by commercial divers, Jejeloye explained that almost 80% of the drivers take drugs. He also implores passengers and commercial divers to make effective use of officially recognised bus stops in the state.
“In this Lagos we are; the moment you step on your break in one second, more than 100 will step on their breaks at the same time and you might not be able to control traffic again in the whole of that day. It’s not only on the side of drivers; we even see passengers’ abandoned bus stops. As they are coming from their houses, they want to stand in front of their houses and board a bus. They will not go to the bus stops, why did the government spend a lot in constructing bus stops, is it only when rain is falling that we make use of the bus stops?
That’s why we talk of native knowledge and academic knowledge. In a situation where both knowledge is zero, the only thing is just to open your eyes and control steering. Instead of developing themselves before going to work, they go and drink alcohol and begin to misbehave, close to 80% of them. We have called them, told their chairmen that anytime they see police they should not run, we don’t kill. Even if you commit a serious offence, we can still resolve it through their unions. We have educated and enlightened them because it’s their own chairmen that can reach out to all of them”.
While appreciating the contribution of the media for its enormous support especially the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP) at a time like this to share ideas and talk about issues that bothers on the wellbeing of Lagosians.
“I sincerely appreciate your time and the fact that you have interest in the agency. Don’t be tired of us; continue to give us all the necessary support. Your visit is really a good time to share ideas and to talk about the issues that bothers on the wellbeing of Lagosians. We will not relent; we will continue to work hard. When we work hard, we put our lives more at risk, that’s another part. If we continue to toil the path of sincerity, then we have consolation in the word of God. The words of God are there and have settled everything.
Please let’s continue to work together, without you there are no us because whenever we do that’s good, you are the ones that will blow the wrestle. Whatever we do that is bad as well, you are the ones that will still blow it. So we are trying our possible best to make sure that we toil the direct path of the law in everything we do. We work within the confines of the law and not outside it so that we will not suffer backlash. The fact still remains; that in this our present society, the just man cannot find it easy at all. But then, I believe in posterity; posterity is a time keeper and time is a great healer. I believe that bit sincerity doesn’t thrive in the society whereby we exist now”.
Jejeloye concluded with what he wished to be remembered for: “I wish to be known for justice and nothing more”.
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