Emmanuel Clement
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) management, led by General Manager Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, paid a courtesy visit to the agency’s pioneer Chief Executive Officer and retired Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Yemi Odubela.
This visit was a gesture of reverence and institutional remembrance, acknowledging Odubela’s visionary leadership in laying the foundation of LASTMA.
Speaking during the visit, Bakare-Oki extolled Odubela’s steadfastness, pioneering courage, and sagacious leadership, which have had a lasting impact on the agency.
He remarked that the principles and doctrines instituted by the pioneer Chief Executive Officer remain permanently inscribed in the Authority’s institutional DNA, guiding its evolution as a citadel of efficiency and public service.
He presented Odubela with a commemorative Trooper-on-Bike Plaque, symbolizing LASTMA’s commitment to vigilance, resilience, and collective safety. Bakare-Oki also invoked prayers for Odubela’s continued vitality and divine blessings, reaffirming the management’s commitment to upholding the agency’s ideals.
Bakare Oki went further to invoke prayers for the elder statesman’s continued vitality, longevity, and divine blessings, reaffirming the management’s resolute commitment to safeguarding and advancing the ideals upon which the Authority was originally founded.
In response, Odubela expressed gratitude and described the visit as a reaffirmation of continuity and institutional memory.
He advised LASTMA officers to deepen their dedication to service, maintain professionalism, and uphold the agency’s image.
Odubela also commended the current leadership under Bakare-Oki for restoring the agency’s glory and primacy in traffic administration and road safety.
Notably, Odubela acknowledged the foresight of former Lagos State Governor and current President of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for giving him the opportunity to contribute to Lagos State’s infrastructural and administrative development.
According to Mr. Odubela, “I am profoundly elated to witness the Agency whose foundation I laid not only endure but ascend into becoming the foremost traffic management institution of reckoning within the Federation.”
The visit concluded with mutual appreciation, reinforcing LASTMA’s commitment to its mission of order, discipline, and service in Lagos State.
