Ogun State Head of Service, Mr. Olarewaju Saka, has called on the Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE), to scale up efforts towards Technology-driven enforcement and uphold integrity in service delivery.
The HoS gave the advice during a felicitation visit by the TRACE management team in his office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, saying sustained road safety sensitisation and strict enforcement process that aligned with modern trend of technology across the State remained critical to reducing accidents on major routes.
To achieve this, he directed the agency to deploy more surveillance and intelligence officers on strategic corridors and invest in technology, stressing that the move would help curb bribery and corruption among personnel.
“No TRACE officer should be caught in the act. Integrity must be non-negotiable,” he warned.
The Head of Service further directed the Information and Communication Technology Unit of the agency to work closely with the Ministry of Transportation to monitor and ensure proper maintenance of traffic lights across the State, while assuring the agency of additional manpower, noting that the recruitment of new officers is at an advanced stage.
Commending TRACE officers for their diligence, neatness and proper use of identification tags, the HoS charged the management to instill discipline in its operatives ahead of the on-boarding of recruits to ensure a smooth transition, noting that such standards were expected from all Civil Servants, while he assured the agency that his office would not condone any form of assault on traffic officers.
Also speaking, Permanent Secretaries of the Ministry of Transportation and the Bureau of Public Service Reform, Mrs. Tokunbo Peters and Mr. Jola Oyeneye, urged TRACE to embrace innovation.
They advised the agency to adopt modern traffic management practices used in developed countries and to prioritise the welfare of its officers.
Earlier in his remarks, most Senior TRACE officer, Commander Elias Omonayajo, said the visit was to congratulate Mr. Saka on his elevation as the 21st Head of Service and to brief him on the agency’s activities.
Giving an overview, Commander Omonayajo, said TRACE was established by law on March 9, 2005 and commenced full traffic enforcement in June 2006. From an initial 4 commands, the agency had now expanded to 72 commands across the State.
He added that TRACE had recorded significant progress in reducing road crashes through consistent public education and enlightenment campaigns.
