The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Dr Boboye Oyeyemi

  • FRSC to establish 12 new unit commands across Nigeria – Oyeyemi

    Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi, the Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), says the corps will soon establish 12 new unit commands across the federation to enhance the coverage of the nation’s over 200,000-kilometre road network.

    Oyeyemi said this on Tuesday, while inaugurating the corps’ new office complex in Abakaliki and an access road to the structure built by the state government.

    He also said that the corps would establish 10 outposts along the country’s major corridors.

    He said that the ongoing expansion necessitated the establishment of permanent office accommodations across the country for improved operations of the organisation.

    Oyeyemi said: “The new office complex for Ebonyi sector command brings to eight the number of structures designed, constructed and inaugurated under my watch in different parts of the country.

    “FRSC sector command offices so far completed under this arrangement include: Ekiti, Ibadan, Lokoja, Ilorin, Kano, Gusau and Osogbo.

    “The offices in Asaba, Uyo and Gombe are at various stages of completion.”

    The FRSC boss further said that 12 zonal commands, three number plate production plants, among others, were already housed in befitting permanent FRSC structures.

    He commended the governments of the states where permanent structures had been erected, saying that the projects could not have been accomplished without their efforts.

    “I profoundly thank Gov. Dave Umahi for approving the expansion of the land originally allocated for the Ebonyi office from two to six plots to accommodate the complex and its appurtenances,” he said.

    Also, Mr Bukhari Bello, the Chairman of the FRSC board, thanked the governor for constructing the access road leading to the complex and being supportive to FRSC in the state.

    “Two months ago, FRSC received two brand new Nissan Pick-up vehicles donated by the government to beef up its operations, in addition to the empowerment scheme, which the spouses of FRSC personnel benefited from.

    “The sustained support and cooperation of Ebonyi government towards building sustainable framework for national road safety in Nigeria is evidenced in its commitment to the National Uniform License Scheme (NULS) success,” Bello said.

    In his remarks, Umahi described the quality and finishing of the building as of high standard, “fit to be in Ebonyi.”

    He urged the citizens to handle public property carefully.

    He said that citizens had the right to stop projects that were being poorly constructed in the state, no matter the tier of government responsible for it.

    “I and other citizens of the state can stop the construction of local, state or Federal Government-owned projects that are badly executed.

    “The money expended on these projects is ours,” the governor said.

    Mrs Stella Uchegbu, the Ebonyi Sector Commander of the corps, expressed delight at the inauguration of the complex, saying that the new structure would boost the workers morale in the discharge of their duties. (NAN)

  • LG pays WAEC fees for 200 indigent students in Enugu

    The Igbo Etiti Local Government Council in Enugu State has paid the West African Examination Council (WAEC) fees for 200 indigenous students in the area this year.

    The council Chairman, Mr Malachy Agbo, disclosed this in an interview with our reporter on Thursday in Enugu.

    Agbo said the council did not discriminate along political party lines in the payment.

    He said that all students, irrespective of their background, would benefit from the educational provision as a means of making them feel the benevolence of government.

    According to him, the gesture was aimed at carrying everybody along and to make them feel part of the day to day governance of the local government.

    He explained that the council took the roll-calls of all the students in senior secondary three (SS3) classes, who are indigenes of Igbo Etiti.

    “We register them free of charge for the West Africa Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

    “We did not consider whether you are from the less-privileged or not,’’ Agbo said.

    He also promised that the council would provide desks in all the primary schools in the area to encourage reading and learning among pupils.

    Agbo explained that the council was running an inclusive government.

    “The old, the new and the adult have a say in what is happening in the council area.’’

    The chairman said all stakeholders and traditional rulers were also being involved to contribute their quota in projects implementation.

    According to him, this has promoted good governance in all ramifications in the council.

    NAN

  • Xmax: FRSC deploys 36,000 marshals nationwide

    Xmax: FRSC deploys 36,000 marshals nationwide

    Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has deployed 36,000 regular and special marshals nationwide for the end of year special patrols operation.

    Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi ordered for the deployment Tuesday.

    Corps Public Education Officer, Mr Bisi Kazeem, stated that 795 patrol cars, 204 motorcycles, 106 ambulances and 21 tow trucks will also be deployed for the exercise.

    Code-named Operation Zero Tolerance with the theme, “Right to Life on the Highway, Not Negotiable’’, the exercise kicks off on Wednesday and will run until Jan. 15.

    Kazeem said the operations were targeting free flow of traffic, drastic reduction in accidents, and prevention of accident-related deaths across the country, among others, during the period.

    He identified the operational strategies to include establishment of 13 Help Areas and nine camps on accident-prone corridors to cater for accident victims.

    His words, “Other strategies are quick response time to distress calls, 24-hour visibility along critical corridors, uninterrupted motorised patrol, day-time route lining, traffic control and deployment of 201 mobile courts.

    “The Corps would also activate high alert on internal and external medical facilities to intervene in case of crashes, undertake aerial surveillance and purposeful synergy with other security agencies.”

    According to him, the FRSC boss has also ordered strict enforcement of traffic laws with focus on speeding, dangerous driving, use of phone while driving, overloading, passenger manifest violations, among others.

    “Management staff, Zonal Commanding Officers, Zonal Heads of Operations and other senior officers of the Corps have been massively deployed to monitor the exercise along critical corridors.

    “Commanding Officers have been directed to closely collaborate with sister security agencies to ensure safe and secured end-of-year patrol operations.

    “Their involvement is to provide security support and to check the activities of recalcitrant offenders, dissidents and other anti-FRSC elements,’’ the spokesman said.

    Kazeem added that a Special Monitoring Team would be deployed to keep an eye on all corridors and ensure strict compliance to the Corps Marshal’s directives.

    The special monitoring, he explained, would provide first-hand information to the FRSC boss on happenings in the field as it relates to the operations.

    While reiterating the FRSC’s appeal for cooperation by the motoring public, Kazeem urged road users to make use of the Corps’ helpline (122) in the event of accidents and other emergencies.

  • FRSC sacks 25 for misconduct

    The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has sacked 25 of its personnel for misconduct.

    The Corps Marshall of FRSC, Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi, disclosed this on Thursday during the 2017 Press Week of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State Council.

    The FRSC chief delivered a lecture titled: “Road Safety in Nigeria: Challenges and Prospects,” at the event.

    Oyeyemi, who solicited the cooperation of the public in achieving the organization’s goal, said his management team would not tolerate any form of indiscipline from officers of the Corps.

    He said: “Just yesterday (Wednesday), I sacked 25 people over corruption-related offences. I will still sack more. No corrupt officer has any business being in the Corps as the Federal Government has done everything within its power to make us comfortable.

    “I will plead for the cooperation of members of the public to give information on corrupt officers and be ready to establish their allegations when they are called upon to testify against the erring officials.”

    While speaking on efforts of FRSC to reduce road accidents in the country, Oyeyemi said he has instructed his men to impound all bad vehicles during the yuletide season.

  • FRSC deploys 33,000 personnel for Sallah

    FRSC deploys 33,000 personnel for Sallah

    The Federal Road Safety Corps has approved the deployment of 33,000 regular and special marshals, 859 patrol vehicles, 106 ambulances, 267 motorbikes and 22 tow trucks for the 2017 Eid-el-kabir celebrations.

    This is to address wrong road usage by motorists which results in a high number of crashes during festivities.

    The Corps Public Education Officer, Bisi Kazeem, emphasized that the operation will focus on traffic control, speeding, dangerous driving/overtaking, clearance of road obstructions, seatbelt use violation, zero tolerance for use of telephone while driving, lane indiscipline and route violation among others as these have been identified as reoccurring factors of Road Traffic Crashes.

    In a press statement released by the Spokesman, he stated that the 2017 Eid-El-Kabir Sallah Special patrol operation is scheduled to commence from August 31 to September 6, 2017.The personnel have been briefed appropriately to perform their duties which include public enlightenment,traffic calming, traffic control, enforcement and rescue services, he stated.

    Kazeem said the Corps Marshal, Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi, wishes to remind Nigerians that the holiday is for celebration with family members and loved ones especially for the Muslim faithful.

    In this regard, motorists are advised to bear in mind the need to adhere to the stipulated traffic rules and regulations to and from their travel destinations as over 200 mobile courts would be set up to prosecute erring offenders.

    In an event of an emergency, the FRSC said a toll-free line, 122, or its emergency line 0700-CALL-FRSC (0700-22553772) could be called for prompt response.

    The Corps Marshal wishes Nigerians happy Eid-El-Kabir celebration.

  • Number of motorists referred for psychological test rise — FRSC

    Number of motorists referred for psychological test rise — FRSC

    The number of arrested motorists referred by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) for psychological evaluation under its Operation Cobra stood at 109 as at Monday.

    According to data released by the Corps Marshal, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, to newsmen in Abuja, a total of 585 drivers were arrested for 652 violations between July 1 and 10.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Operation Cobra is a nationwide special traffic law enforcement exercise launched by the FRSC on July 1.

    It targets five rampant life-threatening offences namely; use of cell phone while driving, route violation, traffic light violation, dangerous driving and overloading.

    A key component of the exercise is the referral of arrested violators to medical facilities for psychological evaluation, which Oyeyemi believes will help to check the trend.

    Declining a request for the number of referred offenders that failed the psychological test, the FRSC boss said some of them appreciated going through the process.

    “Many of them didn’t know they are hypertensive or that their sugar level is high.

    “Going through that process has shown them their state of health, and some really appreciated it,” he added.

    Oyeyemi further said Operation Cobra had started yielding the desired results of improvement in the behaviour of motorists.

    “Sanity is gradually returning to our roads, not only in Abuja but also in other parts of the country.

    “We have not been experiencing those fatal crashes again at critical junctions.

    “I promised Nigerians at the launch of the operation that it is going to be sustained, and we are getting positive results,” he said.

    While reiterating his appeal for the cooperation of Nigerians, the FRSC helmsman said the Corps would not entertain pleas on behalf of arrested offenders.

    “I want to appeal to people, they should not be calling to say, ‘my wife was arrested for using a phone while driving, please release her’.

    “I will not listen to such. If you don’t want to be prosecuted or referred to a facility, don’t use a phone while driving, don’t take one way, don’t violate the traffic lights.

    “We have a lot of responsibilities to sanitise the highways, and I can assure you again that FRSC is committed to fulfilling that mandate,” the corps marshal said.

  • Overloaded commercial vehicles highest contributors to road accidents – FRSC

    Overloaded commercial vehicles highest contributors to road accidents – FRSC

    The Federal Road Safety Corps Marshal, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, has identified overloading of commercial vehicles travelling at night as the major cause of the fatal road accidents being recorded in recent times.

    Oyeyemi told journalists in Abuja on Thursday that the overloaded commercial vehicles were the highest contributors to fatal night accidents

    “One key issue we are battling with has to do with overloading of unregistered commercial vehicles, especially Golf and Vetra, and it is more common to the middle belt area.

    “This normally occurs at night in an attempt by the drivers to avoid enforcement agencies, especially trucks used in carrying passengers when they are supposed to convey only goods.

    “As a result, the pattern of crashes is now moving toward evening. Most of the fatal crashes recorded of recent occurred at night,’’ he said.

    Oyeyemi said the FRSC was intensifying its public enlightenment, education and advocacy efforts to tackle the problem of overloaded commercial vehicles travelling at night and killing passengers and other road users.

    The corps marshal further said most of the accidents recorded in the country since the closure of the Abuja international airport occurred on the Abuja-Kaduna road.

    According to him, the accidents were speed-related and involved mostly private vehicles, which are not affected by the ongoing enforcement of installation of the speed limiting device.

    He gave statistics showing an upward trend in road traffic accidents involving private vehicles nationwide, and a decrease in cases involving commercial ones.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the ongoing enforcement of the installation of speed limiting device, which began on Feb. 1, applies to commercial vehicles only.

    “My concern now is the issue of speed on the highways which we are battling with. I must raise this concern.

    “For the work done so far on Lagos-Ibadan Road, we need to bring in more radar guns, same for the Abuja-Kaduna corridor which is in good state now.

    “You know that the better the roads, the more the speed. So, we need full enforcement and more radar guns to clamp down especially on private vehicles noted for speed violations.’’

    While appealing to road users to exercise restraint especially during the Easter celebrations, Oyeyemi said the agency had extended its operational hours to 10 p.m. within the period.

    “We have improved on our rescue services. We have more ambulances now, and are ensuring prompt removal of obstructions on the highways.

    “We will continue to put in our best with the government support that we are getting. It behoves on the road users to show discipline on the highways,’’ he said.

  • FRSC recalls sector commander for cutting female officials’ hair

    FRSC recalls sector commander for cutting female officials’ hair

    Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety (FRSC), Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, has ordered the recall of the Corps Rivers Sector Commander, Mr Ayodele Kumapayi, for cutting the hair of some female personnel.

    In an SMS to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday, Spokesman of the Corps, Mr Bisi Kazeem, said other officers concerned were also recalled.

    Photos circulating on social media show Kumapayi using a pair of scissors to cut the hair of some female personnel allegedly as punishment for carrying long hairdo.

    The incident reportedly took place during the routine early morning parade in Port-Harcourt when the sector commander went round to inspect his officers.

    Kazeem said the recall became necessary to pave way for proper investigation into the matter.

    He debunked a report by an online news medium that Kumapayi had been suspended, saying, “it is a recall, not suspension’’.