By Monsuru Olowoopejo
Lagos State Government may ‎institute legal action against the Federal Government over the credibility and deployment of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment programme, SURE-P taskforce to manage traffic on Lagos road.

Vanguard learned that the government action came after President Goodluck Jonathan allegedly refused to comment on the legality of the SURE-P taskforce.

From left: Comrade Tayo Aboyeji, South-west PRO of Petroleum Tankers Drivers Association, explain somethings to Gov. Babatunde Fashola of Lagos state and others look on. during the Working visit to Apapa/Oshodi express road Wharf and Creek road in Apapa as part of continued effort to address the problem of traffic gridlock caused by Tanker drivers .

Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ade Ipaye in a joint ministerial press briefing with his counterparts in the ministry of Transportation and Information and Strategy, Mr. Kayode Opeifa and Lateef Ibirogba respectively, held in Alausa Secretariat, Ikeja, lamented that the President has kept mum over the issue.

He noted that even after the state governor Babatunde Fashola wrote to the President over three months ago seeking the credibility of the agency which had used his name and office engage in their activities, “he was yet to get a replay as at the time of the briefing.”

Ipaye said‎: We don’ believe in battle. That’s why men of LASTMA voluntarily withdraw that’s why we have not amassed a counter-force because there is also the possibility that confronted with such, another government could just go and amass it’s own force and get them ready and instigate clashes. We don’t believe in that in Lagos State, we are known as a state of law and order.

“In the past we have had serious dispute with the federal government but we went to court, where ‎necessary we went as far Supreme Court. Even sometimes when the decision of the Supreme Court’s judgment was not obeyed by the then federal government but we kept at it and eventually we got what is ours. That’s we know how to respond to it. So no matter how the provocation is, nobody should expect that Lagos State will set up its own force be engaged in clashes with anybody. It is just not our way.”

Lamenting over their frequent usurp of LASTMA activities, Opeifa said “We are not short of traffic managers in the state. And besides, all other agencies on Lagos roads were regulated by law. But they SURE-P taskforce was not.”

Opeifa who also decried painting of the road kerbs in the state in green and white colour, said the action was professionally and legally antithetical to the established traffic code and colour of road marking and painting.

According to the Commissioner, the colours used in painting ‎road kerbs globally is not determined by choice or the national colour but the well researched safety reason which enable motorists know the road demarcation while driving at anytime of the day. He added that black and white s the globally accepted colour to create the contrast needed to achieve the safety issue.

The‎ state government also disclosed that it was set to drag the federal government to court over the removal of political adverts and replacement without recourse to the established rules and norms of outdoor advertisement in the state.
‎
‎General Manager of the Lagos State Advertisement Agency, LASAA, George Noah, added that the agency, in a matter of days, would be filling law suits to challenge indiscriminate placements of political placements without recourse for established rules and norms guiding outdoor advertisements.