The Lagos State Chapter of the Socialist Party of Nigeria, SPN, has condemned the new traffic policies of the government of Babajide Sanwo-Olu describing them as punitive and unfair.
The party also accused the government of using the policies to raise the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
In a statement signed by Rufus Olusesan and Shoyombo M.K, Chairman and Publicity Secretary respectively, the party noted that rather that implementing draconian laws to punish traffic offenders, the government should live up to its responsibilities by fixing the bad roads which cause the heavy traffic experienced in the state.
It also accused the Sanwo-Olu administration of taking off on a wrong footing.
The party, however, stressed it does not support traffic offences.
“The Sanwo Olu-led government is starting its administration with a more stringent regime of punitive measures, particularly on traffic enforcement. The N200, 000 fine on a one-way traffic offence is not only unfair but punitive aimed at raising the Internally Generated Revenue, IGR.
“It beats our imagination how a government will enforce traffic rules that attract fines/penalties of between N20, 000 and N200, 000 in an economy where more and more are thrown into poverty on a daily basis. The outrageous fine shows that the primary motive is largely for revenue generation for the purpose of maintaining the opulent lifestyle of a few privileged ruling elites.
“The new government is also striving to recover the staggering huge funds lavished by the ruling party (APC) to bribe voters in the just concluded general elections in Lagos and also pile up a war chest for the next elections, an approach aimed at sustaining the hegemony of profligacy and corruption,” it said.
The SPN further accused the past administrations in the state of always leaning towards punitive measures and exploitation of the masses as evidenced by its anti-people laws.
“The Lagos State Government responses to social issues since 1999 has always been punitive and taken as an opportunity to exploit the masses, something that has given rise to a regime of anti-people laws. Stringent laws and its draconian implementations cannot resolve societal contradictions and vices without a conscious effort at resolving the fundamental foundational problems.
“Lagos State and Nigeria at large depict a society in chaos. Only adequate and massive investment in social infrastructure to guarantee good road networks, railway, waterways, aviation, housing, hospitals, recreational and sporting facilities, etc., and linked to a well-planned residential and working environment, all which are affordable and accessible for the masses, will end the traffic chaos.
“Paradoxically, the Lagos State Government enforces rules for vehicles to be roadworthy whereas the roads are not only unworthy for vehicles, it is largely responsible for the deplorable state of many vehicles. Hence, there is a link between the existence of social problems and social vices,” the party held.
It further accused the state government of running a “corrupt contract system wherein road construction is done at an inflated cost to accommodate the profit motive of the contractors and political office holders that award the contract.” This it said was responsible for the inability of the state to fix majority of its bad roads.
“The inability and failure of the Lagos State Government to resolve the social economic problems are largely responsible for the traffic chaos. For instance, bad roads are responsible for 60% of traffic congestion and have largely become a motivation for traffic violations.
“Rather than fixing the bad roads as a means of easing traffic congestion, the government is intensifying the implementation of its draconian policies. The failure of the government to construct good roads across the state is because it implements a corrupt contract system wherein road construction is done at an inflated cost to accommodate the profit motive of the contractors and political office holders that award the contract. And this explains why fewer roads are constructed and more so with poor quality while many of the roads are abandoned or not maintained.
“We demand a public sector driven construction policy wherein the Ministry of Labour is adequately funded and equipped to construct roads and other infrastructure and to be managed transparently and democratically by the working people as a means of undermining waste and corruption.”
The party therefore called on the State Government to end what it described as “this regime of punitive and money-making traffic policies and rules.”