Governor Fashola Arrests Two Army Officers for Driving on BRT Lane

Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola on Tuesday reprimanded two military officers for driving on the dedicated Bus Rapid Transit lane.

The soldiers were accosted on the BRT lane at the Outer Marina on the Island.

Fashola expressed dismay that those who should show discipline and professionalism were the ones violating the BRT regulation.

Colonel K.I. Yusuf drove an Army Green Peugeot 406 with registration number BO1 – 150 NA, while Staff Sergeant A.J. Adeomi drove a black Toyota Camry.

Perhaps realising the problem that could come from being accosted by the governor, Yusuf reportedly alighted from his car and saluted Fashola repeatedly, saying, “I am sorry, very, very sorry.”

But the governor instead asked, “Why, as a senior military officer, did you choose to break the law instead of preserving it?”

A huge crowd of spectators gathered to watch the scene.

Fielding questions from reporters after the incident, the governor described as “very unfortunate” the fact that those who ought to stand in defence of the democratic values of the nation are the ones violating the law.

He, however, added: “But it signifies my commitment and the commitment of the Lagos State Government that all those who will not comply with our laws should leave our state. We will not back down.

“There is a zero tolerance for lawlessness. There is zero tolerance for breach of our regulations and we are going to do more of this. We are going to take control of our traffic. We cannot build our way out of traffic congestion; our responsibility is to manage traffic and manage congestion”.

Insisting that people must behave well, Mr Fashola said: “I don’t use the BRT lane; I sit down in traffic and I expect everyone who wants to drive his car to do the same. The alternative is to use the bus.

“The bus is for those who cannot afford to buy cars. They have the right also to use the road and we cannot encroach on that lane which we have reserved for them. This is democratisation of the road and I will defend it.”

Way to go Governor!