Concerned about the reckless conduct of some members of the Park Management System (PMS), the Oyo State government has read out a 20-point riot act to guide the operation of the park managers.
According to state Commissioner for Public Works and Transport, Professor Dahud Shangodoyin, at the unveiling of the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), in Ibadan, on Sunday, the riot act became expedient because the state government and security agencies had been inundated with misguided, unsavoury actions of members of the PMS.
Henceforth, he said the PMS had become bound to strictly abide by the standard operating procedures in dealing with members of the public else could be picked up by security agencies and prosecuted in accordance with the nation’s criminal code and other statutory laws both the state and federation.
The riot act in the SOP read: “All violators of any of the above Standard Operating Procedure will be dealt with decisively. All members of the PMS must abide by the above or have his PMS membership invalidated and face the laws of the land.”
The SOP was unveiled in the presence of the heads of the police, army, civil defence corps, Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), department of state services; Executive Assistant to Governor Seyi Makinde on Security, Sunday Odukoya; Chairman, Oyo State Road Traffic Management Agency (OYRTMA), Mr Akin Fagbemi; Chairman, PMS Disciplinary Committee, Mr Mukaila Lamidi; park managers and Mr Seye Famojuro.
Among others, the SOP stipulates that PMS members have no right to take laws into their hands; must not drive recklessly; must not drink any form of liquor or intoxicating substances while on duty; must not take cigarettes or consume hard drugs.
In addition, the SOP restrains PMS members from holding canes, sticks, rods while on duty; from wearing vests or headgears with unauthorized inscriptions, pictures of political parties, politicians or persons they support.
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According to Shangodoyin, the state government plans to register every member of the PMS, in an identity management system exercise, and issue them vests and headgears which they are authorized to wear.
The new SOP cautions PMS members against over-speeding, reckless driving, overloading, urinating, defecating or dumping refuse randomly, with feedback points and phone numbers to be created across the state where members of the public can report erring members.
The registration will also require PMS members to fill out guarantor forms, with guarantors to be held liable for infringements against laws of the state and federation.
Just as guarantors, leaders of units are to also be held liable if any member under their supervision errs.
Famojuro and Fagbemi, who stressed the contents of the SOP, said the state government wanted PMS members to be civil in discharging their duties, especially in relating with commuters.
They noted that the PMS were answerable to the security agencies, adding that the state government will not hesitate to arrest and prosecute park managers portraying the PMS in bad light.
They also urged the PMS managers to not disallow even people perceived to be of the opposition from joining the PMS, noting that Governor Seyi Makidne led the government formed the PMS to end frosty relationships and unhealthy rivalry in the transport sector.
Speaking, Chairman, PMS disciplinary committee, Mukaila Lamidi, popularly called Auxiliary, avowed that all park managers will cooperate with the state government as regards the SOP.
He said the park managers do not consider themselves above government, security agencies and would not hesitate to send packing members who continue to flout stipulated rules and regulations.
Lamidi said: “All (park managers) must comply with the stipulated rules. No one is above government and security agencies. We don’t want our members flouting rules. So, let us all cooperate. Anyone not keen on complying with the stipulated rules should leave the PMS. We have to love what the government wants.”
In her remarks, state commissioner for police, Ngozi Onadeko said the SOP was long overdue owing to persistent complaints of people regarding the activities of the park managers.
She charged the park managers to be law-abiding, shun taking laws into their hands and respect the security agencies.
Onadeko said: “This event is long overdue. There have been so many complaints from some people about all the violence, problems going on within the transport system. The government has come out to say that the Park Management System is the one in charge, so every transport system should come under them and work as a body.
“A Standard operating procedure has been given to them. The riot act read out to the PMS is for them to be law-abiding, not take the law into your hands and respect the security agencies.
“We are getting into the political era. We don’t want any tension anywhere or anybody or group using the transport system to cause mayhem in Oyo State. The state has been relatively calm and we want to sustain it and surpass it.”
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