By Olorundare Enimola
Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital was agog on Friday 27, June, as Cdr. Olaseni Ogunyemi, retires from the Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency, TRACE, as the Commander General and Chief Executive, after attaining the statutory retirement age of 60 and serving as the head of the Agency for 10 years.
The colourful Pull-Out ceremony was well attended by friends, relatives, Senior Officers of the Agency, Government officials and several well-wishers who took turns to pour encomiums on him, recounting his laudable achievements and transformative landmarks whilst in charge of TRACE.
In his goodwill message, Engr. Gbenga Dairo, the Ogun State Commissioner for Transportation, acknowledged the good things spoken about Seni Ogunyemi, saying, “I’m not surprised at the good things spoken about Seni Ogunyemi, I also find him a very amiable person, a very reliable individual, someone who will go out of his way to ensure your success, your well-being, your wellness, sacrificing for others in ways that are beyond what you normally expect of any individual.
“I also know people here today have thanked the state government for supporting TRACE, but what he has been able to achieve in his 10 years of leadership in TRACE is beyond any support that the government has offered him and his Agency.
He’s an industrious individual. I wish, I still had my connections with the World Bank, I would have loved for a case study to be done on TRACE, to find out how this Commander was able to manage it in such difficult circumstances, defying understanding and logic”, he added.
The Commissioner expressed wishes that Ogunyemi will put together his memoirs to educate the public on how he was able to sustain the Agency, maintaining a high professional standard that is greatly appreciated today.
Dairo expressed fears however, that, it will be very difficult to fill the shoes Commander Ogunyemi’s is leaving behind, but prayed and hoped the good Lord will help in finding a suitable and capable replacement.
In his goodwill message, Mr. Kehinde Onasanya, Head of Service, HOS, Ogun State, represented by Barrister Dipo Ogunfowora, started by saying that Seni Ogunyemi is an icon, a trailblazer, a phenomenon, an innovator and an unstoppable force.
He emphasised that he is an eclectic, dynamic, cerebral and articulate Commander General/CEO of the Traffic Compliance and Employment Agency.
According to the Head of Service, “Commander
Ogunyemi has the ears of the Governor with the enabling support of the result driven Commissioner for Transportation, Engineer Dairo, who was able to convince His Excellency in securing a recent approval to appoint a sizable number of new officers for TRACE.
“We thank His Excellency also for this approval and also for the 2023 and 2024 promotion exercise in which a large number of TRACE officers benefited.”
The Head of Service further said, ‘I should emphasise that it was a thoroughly conducted interview exercise where TRACE officers did conduct themselves very well.
“When Ogunyemi got into TRACE, his entrance was unheralded, but his unprecedented pullout today is with much pomp and glamour, another testament to the evolution of the agency over the years.
He has been celebrated not only in the service, but because our dear Commander is a man of many parts. We have a broad spectrum of well-wishers from the past and the present.
“The HOS wants me to specially congratulate you and let everyone know that you started well in
2015 and you are ending well 10 years after. Your choice as Commander General was not misplaced as the outfit witnessed many successes and new growth during your tenure. You built a new crop of dedicated and diligent officers that have continued to making our dear state proud, driving the establishment with new technology and of course, the movement of the Administrative Office to these spacious premises, which has housed TRACE now for two years.
“TRACE is no longer a young organisation, having being around for more than 20 years, benefiting from the watchful eyes and nurture of Commander Ogunyemi’s 20 years involvement, spanning from the pioneering efforts of Major Sunmola and Commander Songodimeji, now becoming one of the respected elder citizens from which TRACE can continue to drink from his wealth of knowledge and experience”, he conclude.
Praying that as TRACE has flourished under him, it shall continue to prosper even further and surpassing all expectations.
He, however, charged the most senior officer who will take over the administrative running of TRACE and other senior officers in the agency, not to let theflags down but should continue to leverage on the high standards set by Commander Ogunyemi and surpass them, promising that the office of HOS will continue to show special interest in TRACE and ensure that due diligence is done in line with the extant rules guiding the State Civil Service.
Other speakers, including the Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, the Alake of Egbaland, represented by Abono, Taju, Oladende, AIG Shola Subair, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, body of Permanent Secretaries, the Controller of the National Immigration Service and other high ranking leaders in government, academia, civil societies, Women wing of Security Agencies and well-meaning individuals expressed glowing testimonies of the achievements of the retiring Commander while at the helms of affair in the TRACE Agency.
It would be recalled that his retirement activities kick started with a Press briefing in Abeokuta to mark the countdown where he gave account of his stewardship since assuming responsibilities as the head of the Agency in 2015.
The TRACE Commander General used the event held at the Agency’s headquarters at Ajebo Road, Abeokuta to recount his stewardship since assuming responsibilities as the Agency’s boss in 2015, while declaring that the week-long event is a 3-in-1 celebration, involving his retirement activities, comemorating the 20th year of the creation of the TRACE Agency and the hosting of the 10th annual Corps Commander’s Conference.
Ogunyemi, started by giving praises to Allah for his successful years and times at the Agency and to thank Prince Dapo Abiodun, the State Governor, for the opportunity to serve in that capacity, describing TRACE as a seed planted 2 decades ago and has now germinated and blossomed, symbolizing the Agency’s resilience, dedication, relevance, and collective commitment of operatives, road users, stakeholders, sister agencies and the government of Ogun State.
With a sense of pride, Cdr. Ogunyemi averred that TRACE started from a humble beginning in 2005 to becoming a vital organ in the promotion and propagation of road safety, traffic management, and public enlightenment in Ogun State, saying TRACE has evolved into a model agency, unique in style, dress code, methodology, and admired within and beyond the State as a beautiful bride, adding, these two decades have been defined by dedication, innovation, community engagement, and strategic partnerships under his leadership.
He said, “We have worked tirelessly to build public trust, improved assess to commerce, reduce road crashes, instill discipline among road users, professionalised the traffic officer’s career and saved lives as well as property
“My stewardship in TRACE has better equipped the agency in Human Capacity Resource Management, Material/Equipment Resource Management and Information/Public Enlightenment Resource Management. Under Human Capacity Resource Management, TRACE under my watch was professionalised with better career prospects for officers and men through training and retraining programmes”, he added.
Cdr. Ogunyemi went on to speak about the improved internal operational and administrative structure with several collaborative organs, including the TRACE
Special Operation Force Unit, TRACE Whistle Blower Initiative and the TRACE Emergency Traffic Services (TETS), all contributing to prompt and timely response to rescue/emergency services, saying, “these has led to 41.11% reduction on total number of crash cases; 31.25% reduction in total number of fatalities and 29.49% in the total number of serious cases.”
This is beside expansion of TRACE, through the creation of additional 27 Operational Commands, made up of 7 Area Commands, 12 Deputy Area Commands and 8 Corridor Commands, across the geo-political traffic pattern of the state, with TRACE having 66 Commands across the Ogun 18 major traffic corridors, Cdr. Ogunyemi said.
On Information/Public Enlightenment Resource Management, Ogunyemi said the advocacy drive through various media platforms has helped to create a strong social network within the operatives and the larger society.
Talking about challenges, he admitted that the journey has not been without challenges, “but through commitment and collaborative effort, we have made remarkable progress. One of our greatest challenge, apart from patrol vehicles, tow vehicles, power bikes and other safety tools is inadequate staff strength which is being addressed by the government with the approval to recruit 1000 new officers.”
Speaking about his retirement, Ogunyemi said, “My retirement is not an end, but the beginning of a new chapter for me, and for TRACE. Permit me to thank His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Ogun State, Prince (Dr) Dapo Abiodun, for his constant support, past and present administrations for believing in the vision of TRACE.,,”
Ogunyemi also appreciated the media for their continued partnership in pushing the Agency’s message to the general public, particularly the motoring public.
He ended up with appreciation remarks for the Engr. Noimot Akindele-Salako, Deputy Governor of Ogun State and the Chairman of the Ogun State Road Safety Advisory Council, Mr. Tokunbo Talabi, the Chief of Staff to the Ogun State Governor, Dr. Toyin Taiwo, State Head of Service, Mr. Kehinde Onasanya for their collective roles in promoting and sustaining growth in the transportation sector of the state.
With special appreciation going to Engr. Gbenga Dairo, FNSE, Commissioner for Transportation, for his pioneering efforts in rebuilding, rebranding and repositioning the transportation sector in Ogun State, Ogunyemi said.
On the first day of the Corps Commander’s Conference, held on Thursday at the Valley View Auditorium, Abeokuta, commemorating the Agency’s twentieth anniversary and the retirement of Cdr. Seni Ogunyem from active service, Engr. Noimot Akindele-Salako, the Deputy Governor of Ogun State gave huge commendation to the Agency for the laudable achievements since creation.
Commander Ogunyemi in his welcome address at the Conference, themed; ‘Building Resilient Leadership and Management Models for Traffic Personnel/Managers in Ogun State, said, TRACE as an Agency of government is saddled with the control of traffic in the State and is assiduously working daily to achieve that mission objective despite challenges, adding that the Agency had continued to uphold the core values of the system and is consistently committed to educating the motoring public on compliance to traffic control and safety management in the State, while commending the present administration for endorsing the recruitment of 1000 staff to strengthen the workforce.
In her response, the Deputy Governor who is also the Chairman Road Safety Advisory Council for the State, said the state-owned traffic agency has proved its mettle in the face of growing urbanisation and its complexities.
While stating that the theme of this year’s Symposium was both timely and relevant, as it considered the increasingly complex traffic environment shaped by population growth, industrial expansion and new mobility patterns, she added that ability of TRACE operatives to adapt, lead and manage traffic effectively was no longer optional, but essential.
Stressing that she has worked closely with TRACE and it has proven to be more than just a traffic agency but had gone all out and beyond to educate motorists on necessary safety measures and managing congestion in urban centres, towards ensuring swift emergency responses on the state’s traffic corridors.
“These symposium and conference are much more than ceremonial events, they are strategic platforms to up skill officers, promote professionalism, and reimagine the future of traffic management in Ogun State,” she said.