Chief Johnson Apla leads a group of Nigerians seeking to enforce autonomy for Traffic Wardens in the country via a legislation of the National Assembly. In this interview with TAIWO ADISA, he talks about a more than two-decade battle to free Traffic Wardens in the country from the control of the Police Force and the fresh bid to get the National Assembly to establish the Traffic Support Control Corps being coordinated by the Greater Virtue for Traffic Watch & Development Initiative, (GVTWDI). He also bares his mind on the benefits an autonomous traffic warden system could bring the citizens and the country as a whole. Excerpts:
How did you come about the idea of a road traffic warden service autonomy in the country?
In 1990, the then Assistant Inspector General of Police (Finance) unilaterally slashed the salary of Traffic Wardens by 50%. She gave the impression that Traffic Wardens were not doing anything. In law, such action was ultra vires, meaning that the AIG or Police exercised powers beyond their limit. Based on that negative development, Traffic Wardens boldly went to the Federal High Court, Kaduna, to seek redress in Suit No. FHC/KD/CS/134/97. Judgment was delivered on 12 February, 1999. The Court ruled that Traffic Wardens, (TWs), are the products of a separate agency established by the Federal Government and that TWs ought to function or perform their duties independently. The Court ruled in favour of Traffic Warden Service autonomy.
Although those who went to court were clamouring for the court to ask the Nigeria Police to treat Traffic Wardens as part and parcel of the NPF, the court told them that they are not members of the NPF because they are products of a separate establishment. Traffic Wardens were confused about that judgment. They went to the Appeal Court, Kaduna, insisting that they are part and parcel of the NPF and should restore all the rights and other entitlements the Police unilaterally withdrew from them and also pay the cost incurred during the case. So, there was a cross appeal in the case.
In Suit No. CA/K/112/99 which judgment was delivered on 18 May, 2000, the Court of Appeal affirmed the judgment of the Federal High Court and told Traffic Wardens that the judgment might not meet their current yearnings but would be of relevance to their service in future.
Our organisation, the GTVWDI then took up the cause of the Traffic Warden Service in 2002, and applied for a writ of execution through a counsel; that was granted and a court order was issued to us to enforce the judgment on behalf of the Federal Government.
The Police thought that no one had the audacity to question whatever they do on the Traffic Wardens. My group meticulously sponsored the Traffic Warden Service Bill (HB 596) that was passed into law by the National Assembly. By the previous court rulings and the passage of the TWS Bill into law by the legislature, the Police ceased to be a Traffic Agency. But right now, the Police are holding Traffic Wardens illegally.
Though, I understand that the Traffic Wardens Bill was transmitted to Mr. President and C-in-C for his assent; that created delay in execution of court judgment. And somehow the assent of the president could not be obtained till the life of that assembly lapsed. Now our organisation is working on going back to the National Assembly to warm up the TWS Bill as expected traditionally and get the current legislative assembly to give it the legal backing and also to affirm the conversion of TWS to a Traffic Control Support Corp and officially launch an autonomous Traffic Warden Service across the country.
If that happens, does it mean that existing Traffic wardens would be integrated into the service across the country?
Our mission is to reposition the Traffic Warden Service back to her statutory function on the roads to ensure sanity on the roads and reduce carnage. The TCSC as an establishment would run meticulous programmes of intervention to lend support to the Traffic Wardens and enhance professionalism on the road.
The status of the Traffic Warden Service/Traffic Wardens in the Public Service has to be clarified to the understanding of all and sundry. TWS has been all this while, a separate legal establishment, a product of the statutory laws of the federation of Nigeria via Decree 21 of 1975, though it was conscripted to work illegally under the Nigeria Police Force (NPF). By the statute, it was not supposed to work under any other establishment. The TWS is not a product of Nigeria Police Ordinance Law. It was not the Nigeria Police that initiated the idea to establish the Traffic Warden Service in the first instance. Rather, the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing then under Alhaji Femi Okunu (as Federal Commissioner) conceived the idea and advocated for the setting up of the Agency. The Traffic Warden Service was supposed to assist the Ministry particularly at generating revenue from road traffic activities around the federation. The Ministry wanted to have absolute control over such income emanating from the roads she constructs, maintains and repairs. So the Traffic Warden Service was meant to take over the road traffic control function from Nigeria Police.
So, your organisation is purely on a rescue mission for the Traffic Wardens, to take back their statutory functions on the roads but are you planning to supplant them?
That’s a misconception. Rather, the Traffic Control Support Corp is the vision of the GTVWDI, to intervene in the confused road traffic control function across the country. The Nigeria Police have since 2007 refused to recruit fresh Traffic Wardens. It might be a way to gradually phase out TWS. When the current legislature passes the law afresh, the Corp that would emerge would support the few Traffic Wardens on the roads as volunteers, especially at flash points. When the President assents to the Bill and it becomes a law, members of TCSC shall automatically be converted to Traffic Wardens. We as an organisation will work for the assent on the bill by Mr. President because we believe it will save lives.
Will your activities and the approach not bring you into collision with the NPF?
No. We believe those in the top echelons of the Nigeria Police are educated and responsible and believe in the sanctity of the rule of law. They must obey the judgments which their predecessors have neglected over the years. We do not anticipate any untoward stance from their side.
Our concern is that if the Traffic Wardens were unable to exert their rights and enforce the autonomy granted their service as a result of military or quasi-military ethics, someone has to do that for them. This is precisely what our NGO is doing.
We have heard of commissions and groups seeking to transform into national bodies like it happened to the civil defence, now NSCDC, what are the plans you have for the new Corp?
Our master plan is to establish a new Corp across all the 36 states and FCT. It is a massive job creation plan and we will recruit at least 10,000 members per state and FCT. That is a total of 370,000 men and women. However, our focus is on the young and fresh graduates many of whom are currently jobless. Our plan is to employ at least 1,400,000 Nigerians within four years.
In addition to the large number of new recruits, we will bring in all the serving Traffic Wardens into the new TCSC so that our activities will effectively complement the Federal Government’s agenda on job creation and safety for our people.
How far have you carried along vital security agencies and key government officials, especially the road traffic agencies?
Since 2022, we have carried along all relevant agencies. In November 2022, we officially wrote to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Chief Justice of Nigerian, CJN, Senate and House of Representatives, Department of State Service, DSS, FRSC, Vehicle Inspection Office, VIO, NSCDC and Minister of Finance about our commencement of enforcing the autonomy granted the Traffic Wardens by the courts and that we have put in place a new Traffic Control Support Corp. Our letters were warmly received by the respective offices.
I am sure you are aware that as a federal agency, your organisation would be subject to the dictates of the Federal Character Commission, which ensure transparency. How do you intend to implement recruitment into TCSC to meet the standards?
It is a seamless process. First, we have set up a website where all interested persons can download applications, upload their details and submit.
Next, and very soon, we shall put up advertisements in newspapers, online platforms and in the media generally to alert young school leavers about the new opportunity. And to ensure spread in line with the Federal Character you talked about, we shall have offices in all the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
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