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Tag: ember months

  • Dangers to watch out for in ‘Ember months’

    Dangers to watch out for in ‘Ember months’

    Many Nigerians perceive the ember months – September, October, November, and December – to be synonymous with mysterious happenings.

    Within these months left, a fever, or perhaps some sort of anxiety, grips most Nigerians.

    The ‘ember’ months are always the busiest on roads for many reasons and the air of festivity within these periods makes everyone ecstatic.

    From a religious perspective, many people believe these dangers or tragic occurrences are caused by evil spirits associated with these months.

    They argue that it is a season when prayers should be intensified to curtail the incidence of evil.

    While this fear of the ‘Ember months’ seems to be a natural phenomenon, it is important that we also pay attention to the dangers that have now been associated with what is now termed “Ember months.”

    Fire Outbreak

    Fire is one of the major causes of accidents during Ember months because the air becomes dryer, thus encouraging a chain reaction of fire.

    Ember months usually come with the gradual subsiding of the rains and encroachment of the Harmattan haze.

    This Harmattan hazes fuel fire outbreaks in marketplaces, offices, worship centres, farms, and bushes

    Accidents

    In Nigeria, the ember months are known as a period of hectic activity on roads.

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    People use this end-of-year period to engage in business and travel to visit loved ones living far away.

    Further analysis revealed that the top five causes of road accidents are:

    Speed violation

    Wrongful overtaking

    Dangerous driving

    Tyre burst

    Brake failure

    Other factors that also cause road accidents during this period are excessive speeding, overloading, and impatient passengers making passive comments to the driver while driving.

    Many drivers place their safety at risk by overloading their vehicles.

    Kidnappings

    Although insecurity and kidnappings are not new in Nigeria, they are always on the increase during the ember months.

    Kidnapping has evolved into a lingering, pervasive security threat, a fast-paced and multifaceted criminal enterprise.

    It is now perpetrated by diverse armed groups and criminal gangs operating across the country.

    Young and old have been victims; others have had the gruesome experience of losing loved ones to these kidnappers.

    Robberies and other criminal activities

    Some of the most common types of robberies experienced in Nigeria are home robberies, car robberies, and bank robberies.

    Today, armed robbery is not only one of the biggest threats in Nigeria but also a social scourge

    Robberies can occur almost at any time but tend to occur more often in anticipated settings and at expected times.

    All that is necessary is a motivated robber and an unwilling victim at the wrong place at the wrong time.

    In all that you do, remember to stay safe, and be watchful and careful.

  • ‘Ember months’ safety campaign not mere celebration—FRSC

    The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has said all traffic offenders during this ’ember months’ campaign will be punished.

    The traffic agency said the punishments should be decided by the mobile courts established by the corps as part of the deployment tools to ensure “the roads are safe during these months and beyond.”

    Its Lagos and Ogun Zonal Commander, Assistant Corps Marshal John Benibo Meheux, disclosed this during the Ogun State Sector Command’s ’ember months’ flag- off at Ita-Oshin in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

    He said motorists who committed lane indiscipline or drove against traffic would be made to go for psychiatric evaluation tests and their vehicles would be impounded till January 2019, adding that the corps would have zero tolerance for traffic indiscipline during the yuletide.

    He appealed to all road users not to see the corps’ ’ember months’ campaign as a mere celebration.

    He said the exercise was not a party, but an exercise or awareness campaign established by the corps to always remind all road users the need to strictly adhere and obey all traffic rules and regulations that would guarantee the safety of lives and property on the roads during the ’ember months’ and beyond.

    He urged motorists to embrace defensive driving culture.

    The event was used to induct some celebrities and media practitioners as the FRSC special marshals.

    Ogun State Sector Commander, Clement Oladele, appealed to the newly inducted special marshals to complement the efforts of the FRSC to spread the gospel of safety to the communities.

    The representative of Shell Nigeria Gas, Mr Niyi Salami, has pledged the organisation’s commitment to provide needful support for the corps.

  • Motorists, others urged to ensure safe driving during ‘Ember’ months

    NIGERIANS have been warned to drive safely and protect their environment against crimes during and after the ‘Ember’ months.

    Speakers, including senior police officers, road safety chiefs and others spoke at a public lecture titled: “Ember months’ sensitisation, road traffic enlightenment and accident prevention awareness”.

    It was organised by the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) Area ‘J’ Command, Ajah, Lagos State.

    The Area Commander, Felix Oben, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, said people should sensitise one another on the need to be conscious of the “Ember” months, to avoid accidents.

    Oben, represented by his second-in-command, Oni Omololu, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), advised motorists and other road users to be careful when they drive on the road.

    “When you drive or ride on okada, be careful. When you are trekking, make sure you look very well before you cross the road to ensure there is no accident. We must also be conscious of our environment to prevent crimes,” he said.

    The police chief urged motorists to observe traffic rules, shun drinking while driving, ensure that their vehicles were in good conditions and avoid over-speeding or driving against traffic.

    Assistant Route Commander of Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Mohammed Saleh said the ‘Ember’ months are seen as accident-prone period, “but it is a thing of the mind”.

    “When one is disciplined, the road will be accident-free,” he said.

    Saleh said causes of accidents included mechanical, human and environmental factors.

    He said motorists, especially commercial drivers, consumed illicit substances and wanted God to protect them.

    The assistant route commander enjoined drivers to be conscious that “other road users are mad and only they are normal.”

    ”Vehicles owners must be good to their drivers. Let us consider the lives of the drivers as very important by being mindful of their welfare. Some vehicle owners go to restaurants and spend a lot of money, not caring for their drivers. When you care for your drivers, they will drive you carefully and be considerate in time of trouble,” Saleh said.

    He said speed limit is for the good of drivers, passengers and other road users.

    Saleh urged people to assist accident victims, saying the public should report accidents to security agents.

    The FRSC officer advised people to obey traffic signs, use seat-belts and avoid distraction through making of phone calls.

    He called on his audience to enlighten others that traffic signs and lights were to be obeyed to save lives.

    Saleh advised motorists to do periodical checking of their vehicles by “fix your types, wipers, hazard lights and others in your vehicles”.

    An officer with the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Aladesida Olanrewaju, said: “Keys to safe driving during and after the ‘Ember’ months include good vision: Look with your eyes but see with your mind. Proper care of your car: Don’t depend on bi-annually or yearly inspection.

    “Courtesy: Safety comes before right of way. Proper signalling: Failure to signal is dangerous and inconsiderate. Physical fitness: Let someone else take the wheel if you are not physically and mentally alert.

    “As soon as rain begins to fall, turn on your windshield wipers, use your defroster with your air conditioning to keep the air dry and prevent window from fogging, use low beam headlight to help others see your car and increase your visibility, turn on your emergency flashers when you can’t see clearly and get to a safe place and be careful of stagnant and running water

    “Obey traffic rules include: Don’t receive phone calls while driving, don’t smoke while driving, don’t drive without fastening your seat belt, don’t drive with baby on the front seat, don’t hoot your horn unnecessarily, don’t over speed and don’t engage in dangerous overtaking.”

    The PCRC Chairman, Chief Samba Elemoro, said the lecture was organised to enlighten road users and prevent accident during the ‘Ember’ months.

  • ‘Ember’ months: FRSC commences monitoring of vehicles, drivers

    The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Badagry-Seme Command, on Sunday said that his oficers had commenced the monitoring of vehicles and drivers in different parks before they embark on any  journey during the ’ember’ months.

    The Unit Commander, Mr Fatai Bakare, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Badagry that the programme was to ensure accident free ’ember’ months and beyond.

    According to the unit commander, “We will be going to parks with our paramedics to test drivers before they embark on any  journey.

    “We are going to be practical this time around; this is beyond talking to people, before embarking on a journey, we will do random checking.

    “We are going to check the blood pressure and eye sights of drivers because we believe most of the accidents occur made through human errors.

    “Before you embark on a journey, you have already planned it. How do you describe somebody whose vision is 45 per cent in order and is about to drive a vehicle from Badagry to Kano.

    “How do you describe a situation whereby somebody whose blood pressure is 210 over 140 and is the driver to transport  passengers  on  a long journey?

    “So, we will check the tyres of the vehicle, what is in your brake fluid container? Is it water missed with surf or the recommended brake fluid?

    “We are going to check the whippers, because it is somehow, funny  that some drivers during the  rainy  season will be using their handkerchiefs instead of the whippers to clean their vehicles’ windscreens.

    “This is a form of distraction that is capable of distracting them from driving well on the road,” he said.

  • Now that the ember months are here

    Sir: In our clime, a myth has for long been woven around the so called ‘ember’ months, which refers to the last four months of the year from September to December, as naturally tragic periods. This belief has become so entrenched in the consciousness of the people that various religious groups and other institutions regularly organize special prayer sessions with a view to warding-off perceived ‘dangers’ associated with the months. So, it not unusual to see faithfuls of the various religions engage in fervent spiritual warfare in a bid to dislodge blood sucking devils that are allegedly on the prowl during these months.

    The reality, however, is that the so called ‘embers’ months are not really spiritually jinxed as many might want to swear they are. Tragedy occurs in ‘ember’ months just as it does in every other month of the year. Ascribing needless spiritual and mythical undertones to tragic happenings during the ‘ember’ months could just be the usual Nigerian way of trivializing issues. Rather than clothing the ‘ember’ months in a garb of gratuitous mystery, the pragmatic way of explaining dreadful events during these months is more human than mythological.

    The truth is that there is usually an increase in the tempo of public, private and corporate activities during this period. Religious bodies are equally not left out of the frenzy of the season as they organize various events during the period. The ‘ember’ months are always the busiest on our roads for obvious reasons and the tumultuous air of festivity do not really help matter.

    The bottom line, therefore, is that tragic occurrences are bound to happen during the ‘ember’ season because of the intensity of human activities. Hence, it is imperative for everyone to, first and foremost, have a changed perception of the ‘ember’ months. Hence, conscious efforts must be made to disrobe the months of every garb of unfounded mysticism. It is only when we are convinced that the dangers associated with the months are human rather than mythical that we could really make considerable progress in averting disasters during the months.

    Sadly, law enforcement agents are also involved in the mad ‘ember’ months’ rat- race. In a bid to make some ‘extra’ buck to furnish special festive ‘necessities’ , they usually engage in treacherous compromise that encourages law breakers to go un-punish. The result, of course, is the continuation of avoidable circle of pandemonium and sorrow.

    As we march towards the end of the year, we must modify our views on the ‘ember’ months. We must not get involved in any pointless extra-ordinary  end of the year ‘rush’ that could endanger our lives and , indeed, those of others. Those who have to organize social events to correspond with this period should do so bearing all safety precautions in mind. Commercial drivers and other road users must respect the sanctity of the human life by observing required road safety measures.

     

    • Tayo Ogunbiyi,

    Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alausa, Ikeja.

     

  • Ember months: Lagos moves to reduce road crashes

    In line with its mandate to entrench a safe driving culture among motorists, the Lagos State Drivers Institute, LASDRI, has tasked all agencies of government in the transportation sector to ensure competent and efficient service delivery at all times.

    Speaking at a stakeholders sensitisation campaign and advocacy held at the CMS Taxi and Motor Park, Marina, the Chief Executive Officer of LASDRI, Mr. Philips Ogunlade, noted that competent and efficient service delivery would go a long way in checking the rate of road accidents, especially during the last four months of the year known as “Ember months”.

    Ogunlade said that over the years, LASDRI has been conducting an advocacy tagged ‘Zero Crash in Ember months and Beyond’, explaining that the programme was aimed at ensuring that professional drivers in the state avoid those things that usually increase the rate of accidents during the Ember months.

    He appealed to drivers, commuters and other stakeholders in the transport business to take simple safety steps, including obeying traffic rules and regulations, avoiding over speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, as well as the use of expired tyres and non maintenance of vehicle parts.

    The LASDRI boss also assured stakeholders of the present administration’s commitment to ensuring sanity, safety and a pleasurable motoring experience on the roads.

     

  • Navy destroys 87,000tons of illegally refined crude oil

    Navy destroys 87,000tons of illegally refined crude oil

    The Central Naval Command (CNC) of the Nigerian Navy has destroyed 87,000 metric tons of illegally-refined crude oil in the Niger Delta region.

    CNC with headquarters in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, said the raids and patrols that led to the destruction were conducted between May and September.

    The Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), CNC, Rear Admiral Abubakar Alhassan, said 400 illegal refineries and 85 boats used to convey the stolen petroleum products were also set ablaze within the period.

    Alhassan said the feat was achieved following the Operation Rivers Sweep the command launched in January 2017.

    “So far, the operation has recorded a huge success in reducing Crude Oil Theft (COT), pipeline vandalism and other maritime crimes which hitherto had contributed to insecurity of lives and property as well as disruption of economic activities in the maritime environment.

    “Between May and September this year, the command seized and destroyed a total of about 87,000MT of illegally refined crude oil. Also, over 400 illegal refineries were destroyed including 85boats used by oil thieves and illegal bunkerers”, he said.

    To consolidate on the achievements, Alhassan said the command had concluded plans to launch another military exercise called, Octopus grip.

    He said the sea exercise would last for three days beginning from October 30 to November 1st adding that it was designed to tackle maritime crimes associated with the ember months.

    He named Commodore Habib Usman as the Officer in Tactical Command (OTC) for the exercise and the officer in charge of the operation as Rear Admiral Frederick Ogu.

    He said one of the objectives of the exercise are to assess the operational readiness of CNC fleet and bases as well as test practical skills of personnel in tackling maritime threats.

    Other are to determine the capability of the operational bases in the conduct of riverine operations and provide an enabling environment for sustenance of economic activities including oil and gas production, safety of shipping and other activities at sea.

    He said: “The central Naval Command (CNC) is tasked with the responsibility of securing the waterways as well as providing adequate security for the National assets domiciled within the Command’s Area of Responsibility.

    “In order to fulfill these mandates amongst others, the Command in Jan 2017 launched ‘Operation Rivers Sweep’.

    “In order to consolidate on the gains of Operation Rivers Sweep, the CNC is scheduled to commence a riverine and sea exercise code named ‘Octopusgrip’.

    “The sea exercise is expected to last for three days beginning from Monday 30th October-01 November 2017. Furthermore, the riverine OPS will nip in the bud other maritime crimes associated with “EMBER” months.”

  • Right to life: Ember months’ new song

    Right to life: Ember months’ new song

    It is countdown to the end of the year and the Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC) says it is carrying its right to life  campaign to all nooks and crannies of the country to make the roads safer, writes ADEYINKA ADERIBIGBE.

    The Federal Roads Safety Corps’ (FRSC) mandate appeared simple: To make the roads safe for all users.

    This is to burst a negative ranking that has been the norm for several decades. Nigerian road networks had ranked not only as among the most unsafe, but as one of the deadliest in the world.

    As at 2011, Nigeria was 191 out of 192 countries most prone to traffic accidents by the World Health Organisation (WHO) ranking.

    The WHO estimate stated that over 1.3 million people are killed annually in road accidents, while over 50 million people sustain different degrees of injuries from such crashes.

     

    Global Concern

     

    The global concern on the disturbing pattern of road accidents, led to the United Nations Decade of Action on Road Safety (UN-DOARS); as the UN clearly stated that if nothing was done, road accidents could rise by 65 per cent by 2015/2020, making it the most potent killer, higher than malaria and tuberculosis.

    Flagging off the domesticated UN policy that year, the then Corps Marshal, Osita Chidoka, had started a national enlightenment campaign, which was usually capped at the last quarter each year, and often tagged as the ‘Ember Months’ road safety campaigns, to draw attention to the needs for all road users, especially commercial bus operators and other private car drivers, to be more responsible on the roads.

    The campaign is tailored towards the end of the year because findings have shown that the roads are busier, as a result of the sharp increase in vehicular movement across the country. People are said to be moving away from the city centres scattered across the country to observe the yuletide festivities with their relatives in their various towns.

    These campaigns have recorded some success in accidents and fatalities reduction on the roads, such that within six years, the nation’s unenviable profile on road accidents have given way.

    Six years of aggressive enlightenment and advisory enforcement of several innovative interventions aimed at mitigating fatal crashes, have shown that Nigeria may sooner than 2020, exit the unviable ranking as one of the nations with the most unsafe road networks in the world.

    Listed among the causative factors of accidents are external, mechanical, and human factors. While issues such as bad road networks, inadequate reflective road signages are among the external factors; reckless driving, over speeding and drunk driving ranked high among human factors responsible for high rate of crashes.

    While the government tackles road rehabilitation and reconstruction, the FRSC has busied itself with addressing the mechanical/human element, which accounts for 70 per cent of the causes of the accidents with regular park-to-park advocacy and enlightenment to make all operators and other road users see how ensuring a safer road must be a shared responsibility.

    While commercial fleet bus owners are to ensure that their vehicles are road worthy before taking them to the parks to load passengers, the bus operators (drivers) must avoid anything that may alter their basic road judgments and lead to accidents. Essentially, while bus owners must take more than a passing interest in the electrical fittings (breaking, headlights, rear and trafficator lights), wipers, batteries, and tyres, good alignments, among others, the driver must avoid all alcohols and stimulants that might impair his concentration on the wheels, while passengers, as driver’s guidance on the journey, must be alert to report the driver’s actions and inactions on the wheel to his superiors at the park or on the road, force him to stop until the object of the common fear and threat to safe travel in the vehicle is addressed.

    To the FRSC, over 60 per cent of accidents recorded are traceable to human errors, not witches or wizards. If these errors are identified and isolated, achieving safety on the roads would be more readily realisable.

    The FRSC’s Corps Marshal Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, said 80 per cent of the accidents are as a result of avoidable errors.  According to him, trends have shown that accidents often doubled during the “Ember” months “not necessarily because of the actions of witches, but because cart pushers, motorcycle riders, pedestrians and vehicle owners fail to use the road responsibly”.

    “If the nation hopes to keep the roads safe,” he said, “all road users must not only embrace the best road safety practices, but be more responsible road users.”

    The FRSC, according to Oyeyemi, will continue to drive enforcement of road safety laws and standards and promote public awareness on the ills of doing otherwise.

    Oyeyemi, who described a drunk driver as an accident waiting to happen, said when taken above the recommended limits, alcohol impairs the driver’s sense of judgment. “A vehicle driver, operating under the influence of alcohol is prone to violate speed limits and commits fatal errors that might lead to fatal crash,”he said.

    Every year, Nigeria, according to Oyeyemi, has been recording remarkable reduction in its accident profile rate due to the deployment of a number of initiatives that are stakeholders’ driven.

    He said virtually all stakeholders on the road have given the Corps tremendous support in its determination for a paradigm shift in accident rate, which is making the nation saner.

    “A lot of lives have been wasted as a result of recklessness and avoidable errors by commercial operators. That is why every year, the Corps has continued to focus on them to ensure that as more people get into the system, they are taken through the basic requirements needed to be on the road and how to use the road more responsibly.

    Not only is the FRSC achieving results on its responsible drinking campaign by collaborating with two giant brewers the Nigeria Breweries Plc (which with their Don’t Drink and Drive campaign collaborates with the Corps’ headquarters), and Guinness Nigeria Plc’s “responsible drinking campaign”, has been partnering the Lagos Sector Command of the Corps to make the roads safer.

    During the ember months, these brewers collaborate with the corps to organise massive road shows and enlightenment campaigns at motor parks, where thousands of drivers are educated on how to use the roads and stay alive.

    Rolling out the theme of this year’s campaign, which is: “right to life on the highway is not negotiable”, Oyeyemi said just like last year’s theme: “crash the crash, kill the speed”, the corps would be all out to ensure that road users respect the rights of other users to life. “No one has the right to kill another person as a result of avoidable errors or recklessness. We would be going round the country not only to ensure strict compliance to all traffic laws and regulations and ensure that no one is above the law,”Oyeyemi said.

     

    Breathalyzers

     

    The Corps’ major breakthrough in curbing drunk driving was the acquisition of breathalysers/alcoholisers to carry out random tests on bus operators.

    Any driver whose Blood Alcoholic Concentrate (BAC) level is higher than the acceptable level would have his vehicle impounded and the journey aborted until such a time that he would be deemed fit to continue the journey.

    While the Corps Headquarters said it is still compiling the nationwide data  on the number of offenders caught via the alcoholisers, the Lagos Sector Commander Hyginus Omeje said though the sector has just two such equipment, provided by Guinness, no fewer than 20 drunk drivers are apprehended daily. He admitted the equipment has helped to bring sanity to the roads, especially in Lagos State. Though the fine for drunk driving is N5,000 by our statute, no one is allowed to proceed on any journey once he has been certified drunk until he become sober.

    The beauty of the breathalyzer is that it could take up to 1000 test samples per day and print evidence based test result that could be used either for counselling or prosecution of anyone whose alcoholic count is above acceptable limit.

    He said for the sector to be effective, it would need at least 12 breathalyzers to cover the whole state.

     

    SLD innovation

     

    Besides breathalyzers, by far the most innovative solution to reckless driving ever adopted by the Corps would seem to be the Speed Limiting Device (SLD) a mechanical device that helps to break down the speed of any vehicle on which it is installed.

    The SLD, which has been in use in Europe and US, made its inroad into Nigeria auto market in 2015, with the Corps, giving commercial vehicle operators till March 2017 to install the device, which is now readily available in several auto shops across the country.

    The SLD is the brainchild of the FRSC’s collaboration with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the National Automotive Council (NAC), which certified the right calibre of device useful to Nigeria, and approved the marketers from which the product could be obtained and installed.

    Though latest national compliance data on the SLD is still being collated, early data released as at first quarter of 2017 showed that compliance stood at a mere 5.11 per cent.

    Of the total 77,817 vehicles checked during the period, only 3, 980 vehicles were found to have installed the SLD, while 73,837 others haven’t.

    In the Lagos Sector where the third quarter data has been compiled with, the result is not any better. The data released by Omeje showed that less than two per cent of commercial vehicles randomly checked have installed the device.

    About 6007 vehicles were said to have been checked during the period. Out of these, only 1993 vehicles have the SLD on, while 4014 haven’t installed at all. 3822 vehicles were booked 192 cautioned, 1279 vehicles impounded and 7 ended up being prosecuted.

    But have these innovations made any useful impact on the accident patterns? Going by the Lagos Sector’s third quarter report, the impact has been remarkable. For instance, accidents on Lagos roads have gone down by 46.2 per cent, this quarter compared to same quarter last year – dropping from 106 to 57. Number of deaths from accidents also dropped to 14 from 45 (69 per cent), injuries from accidents fell from 221 to 93 (58 per cent), while number of those involved in accidents also fell to 392 from 842 (53.4 per cent).

    This means sanity is gradually being “unconsciously” driven into the driving culture of Nigerians. Though over speeding still remains a national malaise, the Corps said nothing would be spared to tame the monster this time.

     

    Other Initiatives

     

    Just as breathalyzers and SLD seemed to be the ace the Corps is determined to further harp on this Ember quarter, more initiatives  may be deployed. One of this would be the zero tolerance to none licenced drivers on the roads. Admitting the earlier glitches to the issuance and collection of driver’s licence across the country, the Corps said with all its production centres at work, it is illegal to drive on the roads without a valid driver’s licence.

    Oyeyemi, who observed that one’s driving stopped the day one’s licence expired, only last week directed all sector commanders to arrest and prosecute any driver, who fails to present a valid driver’s licence within 24 hours.

     

     

     

     

     

    Confirming the directive, Omeje said in Lagos alone 55,802 licences are yet to be collected. He said as part of the Ember months strategies, the sector will begin Operation show your licence at all the critical corridors where it presently operates.

     

     

     

    “Anyone we arrest must show his licence. If you don’t have it with you we impound your vehicle because you are not expected to drive without any licence. However if you can present it within 24 hours we will let you go, but after 24 hours, we will ticket you and you’ll not even ne able to drive until you either renew your licence or issued a new one,” Omeje added.

    Omeje believed if vehicles driven by unlicenced drivers are taken off the roads, the roads would be safer.

    Ahead of the ember months campaign, the state command, Omeje said would deploy about 1,500 personnel (regular marshals) and close to 3000 special marshals, 25 cars, and two ambulances along the critical corridors linking the state with other parts of the country with a view to ensuring smooth traffic and enforcing traffic rules and regulations.

    They would complement the Special Intervention Patrols (SIP) that would be deployed by the headquarters during the yuletide.

    Conclusion

    What is beyond doubt is the Corps’s commitment to reducing road carnage and this according to the Corps Marshal is a project that goes beyond Ember months. Oyeyemi, with these initiatives, especially the SLD, seems to be on the path to achieving the unthinkable. All the facts points to the fact that he is winning the war, Is he?

     

  • Ember months: TRACE embarks on information dissemination

    The Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE) has begun dissemination of information as part of its public enlightenment to make the road safe during the ember months, its Commander/Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Olaseni Fatai Ogunyemi, has said.

    He said the campaign was aimed at sensitising  road users on importance of obeying traffic rules to avoid the man-made calamities people normally blamed on the devil.

    Ogunyemi said the campaign would not only focus on drivers but also  passengers, adding that the operatives would visit  motor parks to educate drivers and passengers on safe driving culture as well as visit factories to teach both employers and employee on road safety.

    According to Commander Ogunyemi, the operatives have been trained to re-orientate road users.

    He said TRACE management had always encouraged companies to send their drivers to their offices for training at least thrice yearly. He noted that drivers bring in raw materials, transport finished products to various destinations and bring back money, saying they need education and enlightenment.

    He appealed to commercial motorcyclists to use crash helmets, saying any bike rider caught without wearing an helmet would lose his bike. He said TRACE had been soft with them, adding that that seems not work and has resolved to start crushing any motorcycle whose owner is found to have flouted traffic rules.

    He said: “Last year, we seized and auctioned over 3,000  motor cycles whose owners flouted various offences.  But this time around we are not going to auction such okada, anyone seized will be crushed.

  • ‘Aba ready for ember-months’

    ‘Aba ready for ember-months’

    Security agencies and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) have said they will ensure that Aba, Abia State’s commercial hub, is safe in the busy end-of-year months. SUNNY NWANKWO reports

    Aba, the business headquarters of the Southeast hums with activities every day. In the run-up to Christmas, the tempo increases, throwing up challenges, among which are traffic gridlock and crime. Should residents and visitors brace up for another heart-thumping season?

    No, said the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), police and even the army.

    The Aba Unit Command of the Federal Safety Corps (FRSC) said its personnel will be posted to strategic places to make them visible and deter motorists who would otherwise flout traffic rules.

    The unit commander Assistant Corps Commander, Okora Awassam told The Nation on the telephone that the agency had started intensive sensitisation at various motor parks including other programmes that they (FRSC) have lined up to ensure that motorists especially, commercial drivers adhered strictly to road standards and rules guiding driving on the highways in Nigeria.

    Awassam assured Aba residents and other visitors of the city a gridlock hitch-free period, noting that visibility of FRSC personnel operation on Aba roads would help to curtail the excesses of drivers while driving on the roads.

    Apart from gridlock that rocks the Enyimba city during the ember months, December in particular, it is usually expected that crime and other criminal activities are also usually on the high side. But information gathered from security agencies show that they are not ignorant of the fact that crimes and criminal activities are high during the festive season.

    The Abia State Police Public Relations Officer, PPO DSP Ezekiel Onyeke Udeviotu speaking on what the Police in Abia was doing ahead of the celebration said “Ember months as usual do witness increase in economic and criminal activities because of the influx of persons and goods from all parts of the country and the world to sell or buy from various markets in the town (Aba). And so, many people who feel that they can use the opportunity to meet their own target through illegal and unlawful means will be at it this time (ember months). And police are not ignorant of this fact; we are on top of the situation”.

    Continuing, Udeviotu added “The CP and management committee of the force in Abia State have met severally to strategise on how to curb the excesses of this criminals in  Abia, particularly Umuahia and Aba which are among the major cities in Abia. We are not going to disclose to members of the public the strategy that we are going to employ because information given to the press is meant for public consumption and by the time it gets to public consumption, it means that we are selling our strength to our opponent which we will make them move ahead of you.

    “The police are strategising and aiming to be ahead of the criminal this period and we are saying to every Nigerian and every Abia resident to go about their lawful business without fear of molestation and when they notice anything that is contrary to their expectation, they should promptly report to the police and other security agencies that they can easily reach because a stitch in time saves nine. The medium of communication between the security agencies is faster than the one between the civilian and the security agencies. We have been sharing information and intelligence in order to ensure that there is peace and a crime free environment in the state. Anyone with useful information that will make the state crime free within this period should feel free and to disclose such to the police without fear of his identity being disclosed or molestation. But we are out on the street where our men in mufti are also monitoring those of them on the street for operation to make sure that they didn’t go against the law or doing things that will drag the image of the police in the mud. They are meant to give Abians quality service from the police”, adding that the police have all it takes to combat crime even as he pleaded for the cooperation of the general public in assisting the police with relevant information that will help to expose the activities of hoodlums in their areas and the state in general.

    In a contribution, a source at the 144 Battalion Asa Ukwa West Local Government Area who recalled to the reporter several successes the battalion has made in recent times said that they were working in collaboration with other sister agencies in the state and Aba in particular.

    According to the source, the army in Aba were planning to meet with traditional rulers of various communities under the supervision of the battalion to see possible ways they (traditional rulers) could partner with security agencies in the state to ensure that people including members of the community who would be coming back home for the festive period will have a peaceful celebration and feel free throughout their stay in their communities.

    He warned those planning to carry out their unscrupulous acts to have a rethink or better relocate from the state adding that they was going to deal with such person or group and would be made to face the full weight of the law as consequences to their act.

    However, many residents of Aba have pleaded with the President Buhari and Governor Okezie  Ikpeazu led administration to help in equipping the police and other sister security agencies in the state with the necessary crime fighting and effective communication gadgets for better and efficient performance in the line of their duties as they expressed hope that security agencies could perform better when equipped with the necessary materials to work with.