Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode on Monday appointed retired Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of Police Christian Akioja Olakpe as the new Chief Executive Officer of the state traffic management authority (LASTMA).
The appointment of Olakpe, according to a statement by Chief Press Secretary to the Governor Habib Aruna, is in strong response to consistent complaints by the public on the situation of traffic on the streets of Lagos.
Olakpe’s wealth of experience was said to have recommended him for the new appointment in order to revamp LASTMA for improved performance and better relations with the public.
Governor Ambode, it would be recalled, had appointed a new General Manager for LASTMA, but the decision to appoint a seasoned former AIG as its CEO was further said to have been necessitated by the fact that the impetus expected with the previous appointment was not fully actualised due to the docility of the headship of the agency.
Olakpe is a graduate of Sociology and Anthropology from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Jos.
Retired AIG Olakpe joined the Nigeria Police Force in 1982 and traversed various commands including Bayelsa and Plateau where he served as Commissioner of Police.
He was also the Deputy Commandant of the Police Academy, Kano and Commissioner of Police of the Explosive Ordinance Disposal Unit, Lagos.
A Member of the International Association of Bomb Technicians (IABT) and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (ICAP), Olakpe rose to become AIG before his retirement in 2014.