ONITSHA – The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) said on Tuesday it would organise a workshop to build the capacity of newsmen reporting the commission’s activities including road accidents in the country.
The Zonal Commanding Officer of the commission, Mr Charles Akpabio, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Onitsha that the commission had set-up a committee to organise the workshop in Aug. in Benin, Edo.
Akpabio, who is in-charge of Zone 5, comprising Anambra, Delta, and Edo, said the media had been a strategic partner in the commission’s success story since 1988, hence the need to enhance the capacity of reporters to cover the beat effectively.
“Right from 1988 till date, FRSC has been working with various stakeholders, various groups to enhance our capacity, to educate the public the more and to reduce road traffic crashes.
“A particular group that needs mention is the media group – the print and electronic media.
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“I want to really salute the courage, enthusiasm, and the commitment of the various media houses in my zone — Edo, Delta, and Anambra states — for their zeal in educating, informing, and re-informing the public on various programmes and projects of FRSC.
“In order to assist those journalists the more, we have a plan; we want to do a capacity building workshop for journalists that cover road safety events.
“So that they understand the various offences, the different categories of road traffic crashes, and what could lead to reduction in road traffic crashes.
“So that, on their own, without really seeing a road safety officer they know what to look out for.
“If they are covering a crash, they should know what to write or if somebody refers them to an issue of road safety, they should know how to handle it.“
Akpabio said that at least 20 newsmen from the zone would be participating in the two-day workshop that would feature intensive lectures and practical sessions.
The zonal commanding officer said that newsmen attending the workshop would be given kits that would contain booklets and special vests for the event.
Akpabio said that the commission was looking forward to an enduring relationship with the media as the commission’s key partner in enlightening and educating the motoring public. (NAN)
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