Ogun: ACP Obe Eases Traffic Logjam at Oju-Ore Otta, Meets TRACE on Other Bottleneck Prone Axis

From Felix Mordi

Worried by the perennial traffic logjam on virtually all major roads in and around Sango-Otta in Ogun State, the Area Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of the area, ACP Muyideen Obe, has singularly eased out Oju-Ore axis of the monstrous situation and has mapped out plans to address other bottleneck prone areas.

Obe, who had once served in the axis as a Divisional Police Officer (DPO), was quick to identify some of the causes of the gridlock and, barely one week in the office, he moved to one of the worst affected areas, Oju-Ore, where he read the riot acts to traders and transporters to be decorous in their operations.

The police boss noted that these set of people took the larger portion of the road and left a somewhat small portion for vehicles to contend with, thereby causing unimaginable pains on other road users.

According to him, “it is absurd and will never be condoned. Mind you, it is not every road is a victim of accidents, caused by this unruly behaviour, but everybody is a victim of traffic logjam”.

The Area Commander, on Thursday, January 28, 2021, made a visit to the Otta Area Command of the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE), his first official visit since assumption of office, where he poured out his mind on the embarrassing traffic situation in the area and sought a holistic approach, through collaboration with TRACE officials, to ensure that the menace was put permanently on check.

On how he was able to clear Oju-Ore, Obe said to all at the event, including journalists that, it had become a habit, and a very bad one indeed, for traders to leave their shops and display their wares on the road, adding that motorcyclists, tricyclists and cab operators pack indiscriminately on the road, to pick and discharge passengers, describing it as an abnormal situation.

“The first day, I told them what I want, same thing I did the second day. On the third day, I was left with no option than to push them back and gave them a landmark”, he said.

While calling on all sundry, including transport unions, to join hands with traffic management teams in tackling the menace, the ACP said, rhetorically that no one claps with one hand.

Reacting to complaints that some uniform men were often in the habit of abusing their offices by disregarding decorum, he advised that such a situation could be handled by tactically taking photographs of such errant officers and made available to security agencies for disciplinary actions.

To TRACE Area Commander, Ajibade Adekunle, ACP One said, “I am passionate about your success. When I was a DPO of Onipanu Division, we met and interacted on this issue on several occasions, and we had a remarkable landmark. We are here again”.

Earlier n his welcome address, Commander Ajibade, extolled Obe’s virtues as one with sterling leadership qualities, whom he had known in the course of his career as a traffic manager, to be a focused and unrelenting goal-getter.

According to him, “when I heard of your posting to Sango-Otta Area Command, I was optimistic that the challenges we had in controlling traffic in Oju-Ore would, within a short spate of time, be a thing of the past. And like a soothsayer, I posted it on a platform that within a period of two weeks, the traffic situation in Oju-Ore would be addressed. But, a week after, the situation actually changed to the amazement some members of the platform, who began to call and wondered how I was able to achieve that feat.

“I couldn’t claim the glory but openly declared to them that it was the handiwork of ACP Obe”, Ajibade retorted.

He added that, on several occasions, the Olota of Otta, His Royal Majesty, Oba Abdukadir Obalanlege, had had to alight from his vehicle to control traffic, when it got out of the control of his men.

TRACE officers in charge of Ijoko, Atan-Otta and Ijako, gave insights into the challenges in their areas and were promptly assured of police assistance by ACP Obe, who was accompanied to occasion by his second in command, CSP Ellah Jeffrey.

Also in attendance was Abayomi Oke Asiwaju, who led a protest on “Fix Otta Roads” during the #EndSARS” protest.

The interactive session came to a halt with the recognition of three TRACE commanders and presentation of plaques to them by ACP Obe, courtesy of Comrade Temidayo Babalola’s TMNews Magazine.