At least, 174 officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) have been sacked by the state government for alleged corruption, over zealousness and other offences.
The sack is said to be part of a strategy to clean out the service and reposition it for more effective traffic management.
This sack comes two months after 34 officers were sacked for the same very offences.
The affected officers had their pictures and names published in the in-house journal of the state government, Alausa Alert, while the public was warned that business with the affected officers was at their own risk.
It was about the same time that the traffic management body recommended 200 officers for dismissal and had their names forwarded to the Civil Service Commission, which is empowered to make the final decision after the officers had faced the Personnel Management Board, the disciplinary board of the state government.
In the past one week, 140 LASTMA officers had received their letters of sack from the Civil Service Commission after being found guilty of the accusations leveled against them.
Investigations have revealed that most of the affected officers were junior officers who involve themselves in indiscipline, extortion of money from terrorists, negligence of duty among others.
The state government speaking through the Secretary to the State Government, Adesegun Ogunlewe said that acts of indiscipline would not be tolerated and the government would have no qualms sacking any officer caught breaking the law.
The General Manager of LASTMA, Babatunde Edu, said that the government would sack any officers found to be corrupt, even as he canvassed for improved service delivery from officers of the authority. He also encouraged members of the public to report any officer seen in acts of overzealousness, corruption and extortion, assuring them that every case reported shall be investigated and if found guilty, the law shall take its course.
The Chairman of LASTMA, Young Arabamen, also warned LASTMA officers to stay away from graft and do their duties as professionals.