By Kazeem Akande/Augusta Uchediunor
Lagos – Pastor Emmanuel Adebiyi of The Apostolic Church, Yaba, Lagos, has urged the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to improve enlightenment on the rudiments of safety on the highways to prevent road crashes.
Adebiyi gave the advice during a Thanksgiving ceremony held at the church on Sunday in Lagos, to celebrate FRSC’s 30th anniversary.
According to him, there should be more safety education and enlightenment for motorists so that the objectives of the corps can be actualised.
“Jesus Christ commissioned the disciples to teach people ;we are the recipients of it today.
“And what does FRSC have to do? They need to teach people the rudiments of safety on highways to reduce carnage on the roads to the barest minimum by year 2020,’’ he said.
The cleric also advised motorists to abide by the traffic rules and regulations as stipulated in the word of God, that “we should obey the authority’’.
“If everybody should obey the law, there won’t be more crashes on the roads.
Also, people will be leaving in peace within the society,’’ Adebiyi said.
Mr Hyginus Omeje, the FRSC Sector Commander in Lagos State, thanked God for the successes recorded by the Corps in reducing crashes on the highways.
Omeje said that the corps was now working toward leveraging on highway technology to enforce and checkmate traffic offenders.
“ FRSC is celebrating its 30th anniversary today; it is about looking back from where we are coming from, where we are today and the future of the corps in terms of road safety.
“We all know that the rate of crashes in Nigeria was worrisome before the establishment of the FRSC.
“Since then, the corps has been working tirelessly to reduce carnage on the road to the barest minimum.
“Today we are living witnesses to the fact that the labour of our founding father, Prof. Wole Soyinka, is not really in vain,’’ he said.
Omeje said that the corps was looking forward to having a system that would be technology driven in performing its duties, rather than what was currently on ground.
According to him, technology will also be deployed to enforce the usage of speed limit device , as well use breathalyzers to detect drunk drivers on the highways.
“I advise motorists to always drive safely and obey traffic rules and regulations.
“Motorists should also shun dangerous driving, overloading and driving under the influence of alcohol and dangerous substances,’’ the FRSC boss appealed.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the defunct military government of Gen. Ibrahim Babangida established the FRSC in February 1988 through Decree No. 45 of 1988 as amended by Decree 35 of 1992.
It referred to it in the statute books as the FRSC Act cap 141 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN).
The body, which had Prof. Wole Soyinka as its first Chairman, was established to checkmate the level of recklessness and carnage on Nigerian roads.
