…Soyinka Says FRSC has Tamed Military
By Chibuike Nwabuko
Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi has called for increased funding for the Federal Road Safety Corps, (FRSC) and amendment of laws guiding the agency.
He made the call at the 7th Annual Lecture Series of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) with the theme: Achieving The Goal Of The UN Decade of Action For Road Safety in Africa held at the Banqueth Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja on Thursday.
Oba Adeyeye who was the Chairman of the ocassion tasked the legislatures to show support by amending the laws guiding the FRSC and increase its budgetary allocation to enable it carry out its duties effectively.
According to him, this has become imperative because we are loosing future leaders of this country on our roads. He said that youths are the major road users in Nigeria.
He informed that the most productive time among the productive people are being spent on the road, called on government to focus on development of roads.
Ooni who said there should be more sensitization of the youths on how they use roads, reminded that bad road should not be reason for not guiding our life jealously. Adding that life lost cannot be replaced.
In his remark, the pioneer chairman of the FRSC, Prof Wole Soyinka while giving the historical perspective of the Corps, said the FRSC has also tamed the military.
Soyinka who said that the military used to be the highest killer on road because of their recklessness noted that today the situation is not the same.
Nobel Laurette recalled that it was fatigue from attending burial of friends and students who lose their lives on road accidents and regular visitation to hospitals to see accident victims that compelled him to put a request to the then governor of Oyo State that led to the formation of the FRSC which started as Oyo State Road Safety Corps.
He said that right to life is the first right of human rights added that it is not negotiable.