Obey Traffic Rules, Buhari Tells Aides, Escorts

In what appears to be a
demonstration of his leadership style as from May 29, the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari has ordered his official escorts and all security personnel attached to him to obey traffic rules.
Buhari gave the warning last Wednesday in a statement signed by his spokesman, Mallam Garba Sheu, in Abuja.
The president-elect said obedience to the law would be the guiding philosophy of his administration, adding that “without leadership by example, the ordinary citizens would become copycats of the lawlessness of their leaders.”
He explained that the “arrogance of power, lawlessness and disregard for the rights and convenience of fellow citizens will have no place in his government.”
Buhari noted that, for leaders to inspire respect, they must obey the laws, adding that when leaders treat the country’s laws with contempt, they would be sending the wrong signals to the citizens. He decried a situation where ordinary citizens “are punished at traffic points and public roads because of the arrogant lawlessness of the leaders.”
According to him, leaders in a democratic setting, should not inflict inconvenience and other unbearable ordeals on ordinary citizens for their own comfort.
The president-elect urged his security personnel to be in tune with his philosophy “bringing the rule of law to bear on the conduct of leaders during their movements on public roads.”
Buhari was renowned for his War Against Indiscipline (WAI) policy during his tenure as Military Head of State between 1983 and 1985.
WAI was the main thrust of Buhari’s government, launched to check all acts of indiscipline such as traffic offences, disorderliness at bus stops, banks and other forms of indecent behaviors in public places.
The programme which became a campaign issue during the last presidential election won by Buhari, was however, earned the army general both admiration and rebuke.
While Buhari’s All Progressive Congress (APC) flaunted WAI as a policy that whipped all Nigerians at that time on the line of discipline, and decency, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in a documentary widely aired by the African Independent Television (AIT) and the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) described the programme as being too autocratic.

Boye Salau