Ambode gives VIO, LASTMA, KIA N5m MONTHLY TARGET EACH

  More reasons have emerged for the increased presence of various Lagos State government traffic monitoring agencies in all corners of the metropolis. The state is said to have issued a directive for the agencies to meet a minimum of N5 million monthly revenue target to each of them including the Vehicle Inspectorates Office (VIO), the Lagos Transport Management Agency (LASTMA) and the Kick Against Indiscipline (KIA). Ripples Nigeria learnt that not meeting the target attracts sanctions to the affected agency, including non promotion and denial of other incentives. To that effect, a new payment system for monitoring fines slammed on defaulting members of the public, has been introduced. The device said to have been installed in the Ministry of Transportation is now to be co monitored by the Governor’s office, Alausa, via a special server. It was furthered gathered that there is a sophisticated real-time device which captures every ticket and its cash value as soon as it is issued to a defaulting road user. But many motorists said the approach has seen them doing all things possible to avert the high handedness in issuing tickets to them as it is now based on the revenue drive of the state. A motorist narrated how he was slammed with about N80, 000 by the VIO for an offence, which ordinarily would have attracted, at worst a caution. The victim who pleaded for anonymity said: “I’m was a victim of high handedness by government officials on March 8, 2017. “I am into haulage business, and was driving from Apapa through Mile 2 on that fateful Wednesday March 8 2017. But unknown to me the Lagos State government has changed its approach to checking vehicle. It is now similar to the FRSC. “The VIOs flagged me down at Mile 2 Oshodi axis and demanded for all my vehicle papers, and I presented them. “But they asked me to go and see their boss in a stationary van nearby, little did I know that I was going to face a mobile magistrate court, which after attending to others called my case up and read charges against me. Read also: NCAA may clamp down on airlines for failing to meet ticket charges deadline “They only said that one of my back tyres was a fairly used one ((Tokunbo) and that I did not repaint my vehicle, at the end, they slammed me with a total fine of N80, 000. “That was how they impounded my vehicle to their depot after issuing me a ticket, with the warning that failure to pay the fine would see me accumulate a N2,000 daily demurrage. But with an appeal through the Governor’s office, the fine came down to N70,000.” Another victim of the new found approach of raking in money into the coffers of the state government, a lady who gave her name as Ms Sarah Amiko, a sales representative with an international electronic company, said she was accosted by LASTMA officials at the AfricBank Street junction by Idowu Taylor, Victoria Island for illegal parking. Her number plate was removed and a fine of N50,000 later slammed on her. She was equally compelled to go to the Governor’s Office to appeal against the fine and it came down to N40,000. It is said that the mobile ticketing device with each patrol team is electronically connected with a server at the governor’s office which monitors and calculates the volume of ticketing made in favour of a team. At the governor’s office on Friday, vehicle owners, already booked were seen awaiting the official in charge to possibly reduce the fines slammed on them. When approached, a lady at the office retorted: ”What is wrong in giving government organisations target to meet by way of justifying the huge wages that they draw on government revenue. “The system is corruption- free, and given the population and the ease with which amenities, such as roads, bridges and others are worn out by the increasing population of the state, giving the agencies target is a matter of necessity,” she said. The Special Assistant to the Governor on media, Haruna Hakeem, answering Ripples Nigeria inquiries on the issue, through an aide, said it would be wrong to term the disciplinary measures, which the various government organs are introducing in the state as mere revenue making venture.