Deep Concerns Over Lagos VIS – The Sunday Mail

Deep concerns over Lagos VIS

Dear Editor,

Gone were those days when the Lagos State Vehicle Inspection Service used to be a model of emulation by other VIO’s across Nigeria. We write this piece with a heavy heart, deep concern and disappointment as regards the deliberate neglect of staff welfare, the deterioration of work quality, and the unapproachable leadership that is presently overseeing the affairs of the Vehicle Inspection Service (VIS) in Lagos State.

In the first place, I wonder if there is any monitoring/compliance unit that oversees the operations of enforcement Agencies in Lagos State, because if there were, that very arrogant and unapproachable guy called Engr. Akin-George Fashola would not have lasted a year in office as the head of such a noble Agency that had, over the years, been known for Nobility in the enforcement business.

Gone were the days when people usually compared and recommended Lagos VIS for emulation by some other sister enforcement Agencies. In fact, Lagos VIS Patrol Vehicles used to be top-notch models in not too-distant time past. Right now, Patrol Vehicles have become rickety, the officers’ uniforms and shoes have become so washed and worn-out that you begin to wonder where the past leaders learnt their trade from.

We also observed that Staff welfarism, a healthy work environment, and excellent growth rate in terms of innovation and programs are not part of this particular Fashola and his Team members’ vision. The Fasholas that we know are patented for best practices: May God continue to bless Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN); The former Governor of Lagos State, for his contributions towards the growth of Lagos State and Nigeria at large.

Where did this particular Akin-George Fashola come from? He should not be allowed to rubbish the legacies of the Fasholas. There is a significant decline in the overall wellbeing of the staff, the quality of work, and the leadership’s commitment to the organisation’s core values.

The present Administration’s cardinal focus has been jettisoned. Engr. Akin-George Fashola has become a Dictator; any colleague of his with a dissenting voice is posted out of the Agency immediately, and this has made others keep shut.

This happened 5years ago when 7 Unit Heads were posted out of the Agency. It happened two years ago, but was foiled by the Head of Service, and another one just happened recently again, where a proactive management staff member was emotionally abused and relegated.

Who is this guy? Who are his godfathers? Would these abuses continue at the detriment of the welfare of staff, despite several calamities and catastrophes, especially about the sudden death of staff, permanent injuries in the course of official duties being unattended to, an unhealthy work environment, and unsafe operational infrastructure (vehicles and offices)?

Recently, a clerical staff member of the Agency died from neglect after suffering a disastrous amputation in the course of duty: He was neglected, he eventually resorted to making a video to beg for money from his colleagues, but unfortunately, he died a few weeks after the shout-out for help, precisely on 6th December, 2026.

Many other vibrant Officers have fallen from frustration, depression, high blood pressure and mental health challenges. Is this Fashola guy actually educated? Can he write reports? Because, if he had, Mr Babajide Sanwoolu is a listening Governor and the SA and Commissioner for Transportation would have done something meaningful about the situation.

Most of these valued members of Staff died due to stress-related illnesses, and many more are struggling to cope with the pressure. The lack of support has turned the Lagos VIS into a breeding ground for burnout, anxiety, and depression.

The quality of work has suffered significantly due to the lack of effective leadership, inadequate resources, and poor communication. Hence, the once-excellent standards have been compromised; reputation is slowly being eroded, unless something very urgent is done to salvage the situation before it consumes more agile personnel.

Another embarrassing situation is the heartless way that this so-called Fashola made all Zonal Heads run their offices on zero running cost, and he expected them to perform miracles. The outcome of this may lead to extortion by officers on road checks and would be very embarrassing to the State Government.

This guy and his Team are so inaccessible, unapproachable, and uninterested in addressing the concerns and grievances of their staff. The lack of transparency, accountability, and empathy has created a culture of fear, mistrust, and demotivation.

In light of these circumstances, the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwoolu, is urged to take immediate and decisive action to address these critical issues. A thorough independent investigation should be conducted, and the Lagos VIS Leadership should be completely overhauled. A new Team with requisite training on empathy and the vision to restore the Agency’s former glory be installed.

The Lagos VIS has the potential to excel and make a meaningful impact, but it requires leadership that prioritises the well-being of its staff, fosters a positive work environment, and promotes a culture of transparency, accountability, and excellence. Voice of Concerned Observers for Better Work Ethics writes from Lagos

Need to complete abandoned Idi-AbaAbeokuta-Obafemi-Ajebo link road to the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

Dear Editor, We are using this medium to salute the Minister of Works, His Excellency, Sen Dave Umahi and his entire team on the various Renewed Hope Projects going on across the country. One of these great projects is the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, which also passes through Ijebu Water Side in Ogun State, as well as the award of Badagry Sokoto Road, which passes through Soyoye Rounder area in Abeokuta.

The night repairs of Sango-Abeokuta Road are also worthy of note and commendable. We appreciate your good works in all highlighted above. Egba Economic Summit Group, of which I am its incumbent President, is a non-partisan body whose sole aim is economic development; and as such, we commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR and the performing members of the cabinet, which includes you as the Minister of Works.

While we have a duty to commend the government when we see performance, we also have a collective duty imposed on us as Egba people to call the attention of the government to any project(s) that are of economic importance, especially where execution of such project (s) is slow, stagnant and sometimes, not even conceived.

In view of the above, we hereby call the attention of the Minister to the slow pace of work on the Idi-AbaAbeokuta-Obafemi-Ajebo link road to Lagos-Ibadan, which passes through the Federal Medical Centre in Abeokuta, all the way through the state governmentowned television station and others

We also request that he ensure the designed standard is not lowered after the segment that passed through Abeokuta City, especially in areas that passed through villages, as contractors have a way of dropping standards after leaving the main city, thereby reducing durability in some parts of the road.

In addition to the above request, we are deeply worried about the project for the following reasons: The project has dragged on for too long, having been awarded during the administration of President Buhari. The segment in the town from Federal Medical Centre up to Chrisland University appears good, but shortly after, it has become difficult for people to drive through (See Pictures in Appendix 1-3)

The newly established Federal University of Medicine and Medical Sciences (FUMMSA) has its 170-hectare permanent site on the same road at Ajibayo Village, and there is no way they can move from their current temporary site to that location if that road construction remains abandoned, stagnant, or slow.

The road is an alternative road to the old Ibadan Abeokuta road via Apata, Bakatari, Ilugun and Odeda to Adatan in Abeokuta, and that also needs attention. The road passed through the state-owned television station, OGTV. The road is capable of transforming the economic landscape of the Obafe-Ajebo area in that the diversion of the road at Owojo to pass through Oyebola to Alapako- Oni will create an industrial hub around Ajebo town and villages like Erunwon, Abiona Mosafejo and Olosun, among others.

The road is useful in decongesting regular traffic and gridlocks at the Ogere axis of Lagos Ibadan expressway, as motorists going to Abeokuta from Ibadan, and vice versa, will not need to drive through the Abeokuta-Sagamu Interchange.

Excavation done on the road has now made life very difficult for motorists, whereas it was a smooth drive through, as well as a shortcut to Ibadan, when it was constructed by the administration of Chief Olusegun Osoba during his tenure as the governor of Ogun State.

In view of the above, we plead that urgent action be taken to ensure the speedy completion of the road, as it will have a direct positive impact on the economy of Egbaland, Ogun state and Nigeria as a whole. While wishing the minister all the best in the new year, we pray that funds will be available to your ministry to get this project and other ongoing projects completed soon.

A copy of this letter has also been forwarded to the Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland. Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, the Osile of Oke Ona of Egbaland, Oba Adedapo Tejuoso, the Olowu of Owu Kingdom, Oba (Prof). Saka Adelola Matemilola, former governor of Ogun State and Akinrogun of Egbaland, Chief Olusegun Osoba and the Babalaje of Egbaland, Chief Olusegun Osunkeye Dr. Gbenga Adeoye, President, Egba Economic Summit Group, writes from Ogun State

Illicit drugs: the challenge of addiction

Dear Editor,

Nigeria’s fight against illicit drugs has intensified in ways that are impossible to ignore. Across the country, seizures have increased, trafficking routes have been disrupted, and criminal networks have come under sustained pressure.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has been at the centre of this effort, expanding its operational reach and reinforcing the message that drug trafficking carries real consequences. Yet for all this progress, many Nigerians still encounter drugs in their everyday environments.

Familiar faces linger in the same spots, open drug scenes re-emerge, and drug-related petty crime continues to unsettle neighbourhoods. This reality is often misinterpreted as enforcement weakness, but a closer look reveals a different truth.

The persistence of drugs on the streets is driven less by the failure to stop supply and more by the continued presence of people who are already dependent on drugs and have nowhere else to go. Decades of research in criminology and public health show that once dependence takes hold, demand becomes stubbornly resistant to pressure.

Prices can rise, dealers can be arrested, and routes can shift, but the dependent user keeps searching. This is why many low-level drug offenders appear repeatedly in arrest records. Modern drug policy increasingly recognises drug dependence as a chronic health condition influenced by social and economic realities.

Unemployment, trauma, displacement, untreated mental health conditions, and social exclusion all raise the risk of problematic drug use. NDLEA’s evolving approach already reflects this understanding. Beyond seizures and arrests, the agency has increasingly emphasised counselling, treatment referrals, and rehabilitation as part of its broader mandate.

This integrated thinking aligns with global best practice. However, the scale of drug dependence far outstrips the current capacity of rehabilitation facilities. Many communities lack functional centres altogether, while others rely on informal or overstretched options that cannot support sustained recovery.

Effective rehabilitation does more than detoxify; it restores dignity, rebuilds skills, and reconnects individuals to families and productive lives. Where recovery systems are strong, drug markets shrink naturally because demand fades. Christiana Daniel writes from Jalingo, Taraba State