Traffic Wardens seek President Buhari’s intervention on condition of service
The Nigerian Traffic Warden Service established to take charge of control of intra city traffic in major towns of the country has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene and improve their condition of service.
The Traffic Wardens said that though the Nigerian Traffic Service was established by the regime of the former head of state, General Murtala Mohammed by decree number 21 of 1975 to operate under the same condition of service with the Nigeria Police Force, its men have not enjoyed the same welfare package as those in the Police Force
The National Traffic Warden service in a statement signed by it National President, Raphael Ojalatan and made available to Journalists in Ilorin, Kwara state said that the Traffic Warden Service suffered discrimination, recruitment of fresh personnel, training and retraining as well as other welfare packages.
It also alleged that the duty of the Traffic Warden service such as Motor Traffic control had been hijacked by the Police.
The National Traffic Warden service said in the statement, “Sir, it may interest you to note that Traffic Warden service was established by the former Head of state, General Murtala Mohammed since 1975 by the Decree No.21 and left unchanged thereby causing untold hardship and grief in the service under the watchful eyes of the Nigeria Police Force subjecting us to deliberate and total neglect occasion by lack of recruitment, promotion, accoutrement, discrimination, oppression especially unnecessary detention, training and retraining and other welfare packages.
“The Traffic Warden duty and offices such as the MTD has been hijacked by the Police which is the primary objective of the Traffic Warden as to which they are established.
“Since 2008 till date, no recruitment was done and thousands of our senior officers have retired. Those that are recruited 2007 and 2008 are still stagnated with Corporal rank while the conventional Police who are recruited at the same time, 2007/2008 are now hanging their Inspector rank.
“Even those that are enlisted into the job in 1989 are still inspector, they only enjoy three time promotion over 28 years in service, they are still inspector while conventional counterpart have hanged Assistant Superintendent rank over 5 to 6 years now. Some are Sergeant for 28 years till date never still considered for next promotion.
“It is pathetic to be in our father’s land serving our nation and be oppressed and denied our rights and joy of being a Nigerian”, they lamented.
They however appealed to President Buhari to intervene and put the Traffic Warden service in their rightful position that would allow them to enjoy the same condition of service like their counterpart in the Police Force.
They also pleaded with the President to sign the Traffic Warden service bill 2019 passed by the 8th Senate on May 22, 2019 and order recruitment of youths into Traffic Warden service adding that ” establishing Traffic Warden service will have a great positive impact in the life of thousands of unemployed youth as current personnel are very few in number in the Traffic Warden service.”
They also appealed to the Minister of Interior, Police service Commission and the Inspector General of Police and all concerned authorities to take actions to correct the imbalance in the Traffic Warden service.