OFFICIALS of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority have been warned to desist from extorting members of the public while carrying out their duties, or be ready to face the consequences.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, LASTMA, Mr. Young Arebamen, gave this warning on Friday during the presentation of exemplary leadership awards to 99 staff of the para-military organisation.
They were honoured for distinguishing themselves by exhibiting highest degree of responsibility in discharging their duties.
He said demanding bribes from members of the public under whatever guise was tantamount to sin, which consequences, he said, sin could be very grave.
Arabamen, who urged them to be satisfied with whatever they earned and be happy while discharging their duties, said they were the agents of the state on Lagos roads and should carry themselves with dignity.
He said, “These awards are not for you to relax, they are to challenge you to do more. This does not mean that it is only those who got awards that are the qualified ones. This is the beginning, and in subsequent ones more personnel will be recognised for such awards.”
In his remarks, General Manager, LASTMA, Mr. Babatunde Edu, said such awards were the first of their kind in the organisation, stressing that the gesture was to make the personnel realise that their activities were being monitored.
Apart from individual plaques given to each recipient, they were also presented with different gift items like home theatres, LCD television sets, gas cookers, washing machines, refrigerators and water dispensers.
The pioneer GM of LASTMA, Mr. Adegboyega Coker, was also given a posthumous award which was received by his son, who came in company with his mother.