The Commander and Chief Executive Officer of the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE), ‘Seni Ogunyemi, has issued a stern warning to residents to desist from blocking roads for social gatherings. Ogunyemi emphasized that such actions are illegal, irrespective of any permits claimed to be obtained from local or state governments.
In a statement released on Thursday, Ogunyemi clarified that permits given by local governments are solely for organizing social events and do not authorize the blockage of public roads. He underscored the necessity of maintaining a free flow of traffic, even during social events, and stressed that TRACE must be involved in planning to ensure this.
Ogunyemi highlighted the agency's primary focus on public enlightenment over enforcement, saying, “It is illegal to block roads for social parties under sections six and seven of the law which established TRACE. The problem is lawlessness on the part of the people. They always say that they got permits from local governments but they do not know that it is only to organize social parties and not block public roads. TRACE must be involved too, to have a free flow of traffic at such social gatherings.”
He reiterated that TRACE was not established for revenue generation. Instead, those caught committing offenses might be referred to other agencies, such as the Ministry of Health, for psychiatric evaluation. Ogunyemi explained that TRACE officers are authorized to serve on all types of roads, including state and federal roads, and are tasked with checking vehicle documents but not conducting 'stop and search' operations.
The TRACE commander advised motorists to plan their journeys, manage their time effectively, avoid haste, use seat belts, refrain from making calls while driving, and adhere to the state's traffic laws. He assured that TRACE officers are highly trained professionals working tirelessly to ensure road safety day and night.
