By Gibao Brima

It’s often said that institutions are not made by themselves but rather people make institutions and to make them become great and therefore those people need to have the prerequisite knowledge and wits.

The Divisional Traffic Officer in Lungi in the Northwest region Franklyn Peter Bangali is no exception to the aforementioned statement.

Having taking up office in a very short period with skeletal personnel he has been able to crackdown on lawless behaviour perpetrated mainly by motorbike riders and drivers in Lungi due to team work, commitment and dedication. Over time, motorbike riders and drivers have taking the law into their hands by driving or riding recklessly with sleepers. And most of these bikes and vehicles are without side mirrors, smooth tires and above all they are unregistered, unlicensed and uninsured among other serious offences. In a bid to overcome these ugly developments, the no-nonsense Divisional Traffic Officer and hardworking team have embarked on wide range of sensitizations by visiting all the parks in his operational areas engaging these lawless drivers and motorbike riders to know the dangers behind breaking traffic regulations at will and the penalties for defaulters including fines when found guilty in the court of law.

In a snap interview with DOT Bangali by this medium just after a court session in Lungi recently, he described the police especially the traffic division as the mirror of the police organisation, adding that since the police now operate with a community policing strategy which is the modern policing practice everywhere in the world and Lungi being a gateway to the outside world, he decided to embark on sensitization drive immediately he took over with a strong team work though with a small personnel strength to ensure bike riders and drivers are schooled on motor traffic regulations. He said since the start of that strategy he has realized that most of the drivers and bike riders in that area them are not knowledgeable about traffic rules and regulations. “I told them often that police are not their enemies and that all what they need to do is to be law abiding.” He said his Inspector General Police William Fayia Sellu and Director Traffic Francis M. Hasley want positive results wherever police are present, which is why he said they as foot soldiers need to work in that direction so that Sierra Leone as a nation will achieve the desired results.

He said therefore if they, drivers and bike riders fail to adhere to the rules and regulations, the police will be left with no alternative but to charge lawless ones to court.

He said that police do not want to over burden the courts with cases and equally so they’ll not sit by and watch lawlessness become the order of the day. The DTO insisted that they all need to know that Lungi is the gateway to the outside world and so they need to set the pace right there, so that anyone coming to this country will realize that ‘we are law abiding nation and people.’