KAROTA And The People Of Kano

By Adnan Tudunwada

Ever since his assumption at the helm of KAROTA affairs, Baffa Babba Danagundi has proved his capacity of bringing developmental reforms to the agency.

The Kano Roads and Traffic Agency, known with its acronym KAROTA was established by former governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso in 2012 to sanitize the roads by ensuring every motorist in the state abide by the law.

It is a known fact that the roads in Kano are sanitized, the fear of KAROTA has made many citizens abide by the law, leaving people to drive on the roads of Kano with adherence to law and an institution to regulate the law.

The first Managing Director of KAROTA Mohammed Diggol did a lot in bringing the institution to limelight, it made many motorists to drive with care and caution to avoid arrest in other not to breach safety laws.

The traffic is controlled through a white line marked on the road, changing of lane while driving carelessly, none possession of a driver’s license and vehicle particulars, making of calls while driving or eating are part of the road safety offences that attracts fine in thousands of naira.

Since the first Managing Director Diggol and the previous MD’s that followed: Baba Ani, Mustapha Hamza Buhari Bakwana, AIG Mohammed Hadi Zarewa, Arch. Ibrahim Garba Kabara; there was no time that KAROTA witnessed developmental reforms like we are witnessing in the administration of Baffa Babba Danagundi.

Agile and articulate, the fearless Baffa Babba Danagundi has proved to the residents of Kano the saying that no one is above the law, he has shunned nepotism and kicked against favouritism with traffic offenders.

I was with the MD last Friday to forward complaint against a KAROTA personnel that treated me unjustly, a top government official sent a civil servant to seek favour on behalf of an alleged lawbreaker who engaged a KAROTA official in fisticuffs and injured him with the feeling of having someone at the top to save him from the mess he committed.

The case was brought to the MD in my presence, he handled it fairly and justly. He told the civil servant that the person he was pleading for must pay the fine. It is in the midst of this that the MD gave me such an example, how top politicians and government officials support lawbreakers. He assured me that the law is not an exemption of any individual.

His blood sister was caught for an offence on one of the roads, she called him to intervene but he refused, he assured her that the only thing that will save her is paying the fine of the offence she committed and that was what happened.

Baffa Babba Danagundi told me that he did all these to set an example, to give the KAROTA personnel courage and motivation to do their work effectively without any fear or favour.

It is all known to us that KAROTA has brought so many good things to us, it has reduce unemployment for the youth, sanitize our roads and increase the internally generated revenue of our dear state. The agency is meant to regulate motorists, reduce and prevent traffic jams. If KAROTA personnel will be given a two-day break from the roads; I don’t know the number of accidents that will occur on our roads, you’ll be tired of counting the number of people fighting on the roads of Kano.

Whether we like it or not, the KAROTA institution has brought so many good things to us, we need it more than it needs us, residents should support and encourage this institution by abiding by the law.

While the KAROTA personnel are accused of collecting bribe, assaulting motorists and bad manner of approach; the MD should organize retreat for all his personnel on matter of how to discharge their duties professionally.

How to approach a driver and talk to him, how to clarify the offence such driver commits in a professional manner will earn the personnel more respect from drivers. Professionalism matters, KAROTA personnel need more training that will guide them well in the discharge of their duties in the spirit of good service delivery .

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The KAROTA official that insulted me and my profession that led to my going to the MD, thought he would go to go scot-free; immediately I reported him to the MD and explained all that happened.

I gave the MD his name and rank, he was brought to the MD’s office and after listening to both of us, the personnel was at fault even according to the MD, there and then a committee was set up to investigate the matter properly.

With Baffa Babba Danagundi at the helm of this institution, such kind of personnel that are in the habit of tarnishing the image of KAROTA institution have nowhere to go.

Adnan Tudunwada is a media personality, he can be reached via adnanmukhtaradam@gmail.com

@adnanmoukhtar on Twitter.