Nobel laureate and the first Chairman, Federal Road Safety Corps, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has called on the Federal Government not to merge the agency with the Nigeria Police Force.
He made this call on Thursday at Asero Motor Park, Abeokuta, during the Road Safety advocacy mega rally with the theme: ‘Towards an enduring safe road culture in Nigeria.’
Soyinka, who said the FRSC had been repositioned over the years for effective performance, noted that merging it with the police would affect its performance.
He said, “I must commend the Corps for their commitment to duty. It must be stressed that they had repositioned the agency for better performance. I want to recommend that the FRSC should remain independent of the police.”
Soyinka described the FRSC as “the preventive medicine against accident on our roads.”
He recommended that road safety clubs should be introduced in secondary schools across the country to make them imbibe road safety culture in their formative years.
The Corps Marshall, FRSC, Mr. Boboye Oyeyemi, said the programme was part of the agency’s three-pronged strategy of advocacy, education and enlightenment in reducing accidents on the roads.
He said the agency would continue to engage the drivers and other stakeholders in other parts of the state, listing Ijebu Ode, Sagamu, and Ilaro, among others.
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He said, “We believe in advocacy, education and enlightenment. This means we will constantly engage the drivers and other stakeholders in this kind of programme.
“This is what we will be doing regularly. But we want the commercial bus drivers to support us.”
Oyeyemi warned the drivers against overloading their vehicles, drinking and using of telephones while driving. He urged the drivers to always put their vehicles in proper shape before embarking on trips.
The State Sector Commander, FRSC, Mr. Adetunji Adegoke, said improved stakeholders’ consultation and road use education were part of its corporate strategic goals for 2015.
He said, “The corps has over the years partnered with various transport unions, private and public organisations, military and para-military agencies and governments at all levels in its quest to reduce road traffic crashes and ensure a safer motoring environment in the country.”
PUNCH.
