The Nation Newspaper

Tag: FRSC

  • FRSC deploys 1,000 personnel for Sallah

    The Ogun State Command of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) yesterday said it will begin a special seven-day patrol to check the excesses of motorists during the Eid-el-Fitri celebration.

    Its Sector Commander, Mr Clement Oladele, made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ota, saying the exercise would begin on Wednesday.

    Oladele said 1,000 personnel, including regular and special marshals, would be deployed across the state to ensure an  accident-free celebration.

    “Our men will be in  Abeokuta, Sango-Ota, Ifo, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ijebu-Ode, Sagamu to mention just a few places.

    “We implore those driving vehicles without number plates to desist from such act because anyone caught will face the wrath of  the law.

    “Those who drive against traffic and use  bad tyres will also face the full weight of the law,” Oladele said.

    He felicitated with Muslim faithful on the forthcoming celebration  and admonished  them to be safety conscious.

     

  • Road accident claims five in Niger

    The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) in Niger said that five people were killed in an accident on Saturday along Lambata Kwakuti Road in Gurara Local Government Area.

    FRSC Sector Commander, Mr Yusuf Garba, who disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna on Sunday, said that the accident involved a car and a truck.

    He said the accident involved a white colour BMW with registration number BWR 264 SR and a Scana truck with registration number ISR 16 XU.

    The sector commander said that all five occupants of the BMW died, adding that his men evacuated them to the Suleja General Hospital.

    According to him, the cause of the accident is over-speeding and dangerous overtaking.

    He said that FRSC would continue to monitor road users to guard against overloading and dangerous driving.

    Garba also called on road users to adhere to traffic rules and regulations to avoid unnecessary road crashes.

    “We have already embarked on a 24-hour patrol on all the federal highways to ensure safety of road users by enforcing traffic rules and regulations,” he said.

    He also appealed to residents in the state to promptly report road accidents to enable patrol officers to save lives. (NAN)

  • FRSC recommends use of bicycle for Nigerians

    The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Anambra, has called on Nigerians to embrace the use of bicycle as a means of transportation, being cheaper and healthy.

    The Anambra Sector Commander of the Corps, Mr Sunday Ajayi, made this call at the first World Bicycle Day in Awka on Tuesday.

    Reports have it that Ajayi, in the awareness ride, led a team of cyclists comprising officers of the Corps, government officials and professionals.

    The sector commander said that it was time to reenact the transportation system that had helped human civilisation for ages.

    According to him, apart from being cheaper than vehicles to acquire, bicycle is cheap to maintain and healthy for physical wellbeing of man and his environment.

    The sector commander said it was due to the overwhelming benefits of bicycle that the United Nations met in 2017 and declared June 3 of every year as World Bicycle Day.

    “Advanced countries have adopted bicycle transportation system as a matter of public health wellbeing and control of greenhouse effects of carbon emissions.

    “We want our people to come back to the basics, cycling is good for the body and environment and economical to maintain.

    “That is why we are raising the awareness again and calling on the Anambra Government to join us in this campaign to revive the culture of the use of bicycle as a means of transportation,” he said.

    On his part, Mr Uchenna Okafor, the Commissioner for Transport in Anambra, lauded the efforts of the FRSC at ensuring the safety of all on the roads in the state.

    Okafor said the initiative of the Corps to revive the use of bicycle as a means of transport, was a noble one, adding that the State Government would do everything necessary to make it succeed.

    He said the State Government would henceforth make provision for cyclists in its roads design in order to protect users from automobile users.

    The commissioner expressed concern about the number of automobiles, which had immensely affected the ecosystem negatively.

    “This is a smart move, it will help us achieve better health for our people and save our environment,” he said.

  • FRSC to prosecute drivers who hit children

    The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has vowed to prosecute reckless drivers who hit school children.

    The Lagos and Ogun Zonal Commander, Assistant Corps Marshal John Meheux, spoke during the Children’s Day celebration organised across all Commands in Lagos and Ogun States. It was themed: “Awakening road safety consciousness in the youths”.

    He worried with the higher cases of school children being knocked down by reckless drivers, especially truck drivers, lamenting that majority of the drivers are not licensed but still find their way to the road.

    He vowed that such drivers will be prosecuted for murder.

    Meheux said the Corps would continue to improve and ensure the safety of children in schools, places of worship and everywhere outside their premises.

    He added that the Corps will also partner other government agencies and stakeholders to provide more road signs, such as zebra and pedestrian crossing signs, at selected schools and locations for the safety of both children and adults.

    The commander appealed to parents to teach their children to always use pedestrian bridges and zebra crossing while crossing highways.

    The Unit Commanders of Agbado, Ikorodu and Ikeja – Joshua Ibitomi, Babatope Agbaje and Emma Fekoya – appealed to children to take cognisance of their safety while walking on the road.

    They said it wasn’t advisable for pedestrians to back traffic while trekking on the road.

  • JAMB set to conduct recruitment test for FRSC

    Few days after it conducted a test for applicants seeking recruitment into the Nigeria Police  Force, the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board ( JAMB )  is set to conduct a similar test for the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).
     
    The board’s Head, Media and Information, Dr Fabian Benjamin, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lagos.
     
    Benjamin said that the patronage by FRSC resulted from the success the board recorded in the recent conduct of recruitment test for the police.
    “The corp marshal was at the board a few days ago, where he expressed confidence in the conduct of such third party examination by the board.
    “He solicited for a partnership with the board to conduct the corp’s examination coming up soon.
    “The examination is for three cadres – officers, marshal  inspectorate and road marshal assistant cadres,” Benjamin said.
    He advised the prospective candidates for the examination to adhere strictly to instructions to avoid unfounded speculations.
    ”The board still finds it hard to believe speculations trailing the police recruitment examination  that candidates were examined in Arabic alongside  other subjects.
    “Such rumours are not only misleading, but malicious and wicked.
    “Let me state clearly that the candidates were tested on only English Language and nothing more,”  he told NAN.
    The spokesman said that JAMB would continue to be transparent in examination conduct, adding that it would always give candidates equal opportunities.
    According to him, the board has  been equipped with human and materials resources to conduct hitch-free examinations for recruitment, promotion and other selections in the most transparent manner.
    “It is because of the confidence that organisation such as the EFCC, West African College of Surgeons and others have  in our process that we conducted similar examinations  for them in the past,” Benjamin said.

  • DSS, FRSC, poly team up against campus crime

    Anyone planning to engage in cultism and other crimes at the Federal Polytechnic Oko, Anambra State will be wise to think twice because the institution is partnering with the Department of State Services (DSS) as well as Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to stamp out vice on the campus.

    This was revealed when the management of the institution led by its acting Rector, Dr Izuchukwu Onu visited the DSS

    Mr Yusuf Isyaku, the state Director, DSS, called on tertiary institutions in the country to collaborate with security agencies to achieve lasting peace.

    He said the collaboration between tertiary institutions and government security organisations was imperative for the realisation of security and peace in the country.

    He said his office was particularly happy with the level of peace and security at the Federal Polytechnic Oko and would continue to partner with the management to sustain the tempo.

    Isyaku maintained that the Anambra state governor, Chief Willie Obiano, should be hailed for providing the conducive atmosphere in the state.

    He said Obiano was passionate about security and peace in the state, urging the management of the polytechnic to share in the governor’s vision.

    He assured his visitors that his office would continue to support the institution in her drive to continue to make the institution secure and peaceful for learning.

    Isyaku said, “Federal Poly Oko is doing well in security and we will always support you.”

    While briefing the DSS boss, the Acting Rector of the institution, Dr Izuchukwu Onu said the familiarisation visit was to appreciate the DSS for their supportive role in efficient security services in the polytechnic.

    He said the school had zero tolerance for crime and all forms of criminality, adding that the visit was to consolidate the relationship between the institution and DSS in the state.

    Onu and his team also visited Mr Sunday Ajayi, the Anambra State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission FRSC, where he solicited for such support.

    Ajayi, assured them of their preparedness to ensure that road users abide by the road safety codes to reducing crashes on the ways, especially in Oko.

    Onu, had appealed to the FRSC Commander, to help sensitise motorists plying roads leading to the institution to abide by safety code.

    Ajayi said, “FRSC is willing to partner the polytechnic to further build the capacity of drivers of the school.”

    Some of the management team members included the Registrar, Stella Njaka, the head of personnel, Dr Blessing Asuzu, among others.

  • Troops arrest 40 for pipeline vandalism, cultism

    12 impostors held in military uniform

     

    A team of security agencies, led by troops of 81 Division of the Nigerian army, has arrested 40 suspected criminals for offences bordering pipeline vandalism, cultism, and impersonation.

    Some of the suspects were apprehended after gun battle with the security team, comprising soldiers, Department of State Service (DSS) operatives, police task force, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps.

    Parading the suspects on Thursday at the 174 Battalion, Odogunyan in Ikorodu, Lagos, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major-General Enobong Udoh, said 12 suspected pipeline vandals were arrested in early hours of Wednesday in Magboro, Ogun State, during anti-illegal bunkering and anti-pipeline vandalism patrol.

    The suspected vandals, he said, were scooping Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) from a pipeline they severed when they sighted the security team on patrol.

    The armed vandals allegedly fired shots sporadically to escape from the scene.

    Read Also: Suspected cultists arraigned for firearms possession

    Udoh said: “On sighting the troops, the armed vandals fired sporadically before abandoning their vehicles loaded with the refined petroleum products and some empty jerry cans.

    They fled to avoid being arrested. Notwithstanding, the troops arrested 12 of the vandals during a cordon and search operation conducted around the vicinity.”

    The GOC said 8,300 litres of PMS and 24 vehicles, including three trucks, nine buses, eight space wagon cars, one Hilux van, three salon cars and four motorcycles, were recovered from the suspected vandals.

    In similar operation carried out by troops of 81 Division at the location of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipeline in Akute, five suspects were arrested with 19,600 litres of PMS as vandals loaded their vehicles with filled jerry cans.

    Also paraded were 12 suspected impostors arrested by special military team codenamed Operation Checkmate. The suspects, Udoh said, were picked up at various locations in Lagos and Ogun states while perpetrating illegalities in military uniforms.

    Troops also arrested 11 suspected cultists, while combing Reshe and Odokekere areas of Ikorodu. Four of the suspected cultists, the GOC said, had been on the wanted list after their escape from a raid carried out last month by Operation Cordon and Search in Egirin Depression area.

    Udoh said all the suspects were undergoing preliminary investigations after which they would be handed over to the appropriate security agencies for further investigation and prosecution. He praised Lagos and Ogun residents for cooperating with security agencies and giving information on the activities of the suspects.

    He said: “Special operations set up by the Nigerian Army will not relent until our communities are rid of all forms of cultism, vandalism and other violent criminal activities and their perpetrators. I enjoin members of the public to continue to reach out our men to give useful information that will assist us in ridding vulnerable areas of the activities of criminal elements.”

  • FRSC warns officials against extortion

    The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has warned its officials against extorting those who come to renew their drivers licence.

    It said the procurement fees and system for drivers licence remains sacrosanct.

    The Lagos and Ogun States Zonal Commander, Assistant Corps Marshal John Meheux, addressed officers and marshals during the command’s parade at the corps headquarters in Lagos.

    The parade was held to clear the confusion on the process of obtaining a license.

    He warned officials against sharp practices, such as, unnecessary inflation and extortion at the Drivers Licence Centres, and other patrol activities.

    According to him, the price for procuring drivers licence is still as approved by the Joint Task Board (JTB). He added that the approved price for a three-year licence remained N6,350 while a five-year license cost N10,450.

    Meheux said applicants should consider the costs of training from approved driving schools and the range of drivers’ test by the Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIOs) before starting the process of collecting drivers licence.

    According to him, driving schools and VIOs are private sector-driven and are at liberty to fix their prices, saying their costs are not included in the official rates of N6,350 and N10,450.

  • Our Girls; FRSC; Single term!

    It is now four years + since our Chibok Girls were viciously kidnapped on April 15, 2014. However we await the release of the remaining Chibok girls and the Dapchi girl-child, 14 year old, Leah Sharibu. Disarming villagers, without providing protection is like preparing them up for slaughter as the herdsmen have not been so disarmed.

    Can FRSC clarify why one FRSC official Olanrewaju stopped me on the Lagos Ibadan Expressway before Ogunmakin on Sunday 13th May at 8 o’clock and kicked carelessly at my plate number and informing me that my vehicle registration plate number was ‘not in the FRSC database’? Is that a crime?

    Name a single politician at presidential, Governorship, LGA or even NASS, or professional in any parastatal who has done better in a second term than in the first term. Very few and far between.

    We are a nation supposed to be in a hurry, because of our low ranking in all UN development indices and the relative disadvantage of our citizens. Having even a good leader demanding a second term as of right and rigging his or her way back into power deprives us of even better leaders. If the recycled leader is bad it further impoverishes the quality of life and the level of service delivery for another four years. We know that the people’s will is not always carried out at elections. As for federal and state parastatals, the heads hold office and re-appointment by the President’s will and his circle or the Governor and his own circle. Any renewal or extension of terms has become more of a burden than a blessing of continuity.

    More often than not new Vice Chancellors and other parastatal heads, governors and even Presidents spend a good deal of time belittling the achievements and dismantling or abandoning construction work of predecessors. This happens worldwide. There are several ghostly see-through incomplete buildings to confirm this, Federal secretariat in Lagos is a disgraceful waste of the Nations patrimony as is the Ilubirin Estate.  In Nigeria a sect in power has managed to make the school subject history redundant. We are all witnesses as students or workers, to Heads of Departments and such places, going off at a tangent to the previous direction while warning that their predecessors name must never be mentioned again.

    However such issues do not call for perpetuation in power by anybody. There is an obvious decline in productivity during the second term. In Nigerian ethnic politics compounds this problem as the longer one ethnic group or one part of the state is in power, the less content are those who feel left out leading to perceived and often genuine cries against marginalization following a 2 term, 8 years rotation,  instead of a single term 4 year rotation. At the presidential level the present acrimonious 8 year North –South cycle of power has done no one any favours. The cycle is too long and requires revision and reduction to a single term of four or maximum five years. With a teeming population of qualified professionals why should one person be allowed to take up someone else’s job, depriving other Nigerians of the same job and depriving   and the citizens of new ideas, directions and goals every four years? Second term has become a cancer depriving Nigeria of exposure to the tree of leadership. Of course there are exceptions – few and far between.

    Today therefore let us think deeply about the value to Nigeria and Nigerians and the cost : benefit analysis  to our rapid development by introducing a single term of four or maximum  five years. Let us contrast that gain with as yet unwitnessed gain and losses from the ‘second term syndrome’. We must change the mindset of the citizen and the politician in this regard. All political parties should initiate studies and look seriously at the second term. Imagine where Nigeria would be today if it had had a new President every four years. Better or worse?

    At some point in our future we Nigerians have got to face and deal with the ‘8 year- two term right’ because it is wrong and has stunted our political and economic and even our ethnic recognition development. We all know that ethnic differences may be brewing at every national political opportunity but they also fester at state and LGA level. A compulsory four year system with create a wider playing field with more winners and hope for aspirants and more opportunity for development delivery.

    The strangely boastful Obasanjo claim that he ‘made’ several billionaires while he was president may be correct. The other way of saying ‘I made billionaires’ is to say that he did not make 1000 people with $1,000,000 each but a few who had over $1,000,000,000 each. Imagine the different impact on citizens in the wider spread of wealth. The result is cement is more expensive in Nigeria than anywhere in the world. Strange abi? Are billionaires not supposed to be generous? Of course not! Perhaps only in later life?

    Please note that the security of material and elections in not the responsibility of INEC who has no security personnel. It is government’s full responsibility.

    NASS has failed to deliver a budget in 7 months. Why should even a single one be re-turned to office in 2019?

     

    • NB: Uncover ‘I LOVE NIGERIA’ KNOWLEDGEABLE CANDIDATES for 2019 -SDG 16.

     

  • Kogi: Man attempts suicide over unpaid salaries

    A man who identified himself as Agada Okpanachi on Thursday, attempted suicide by hanging himself on a tree in Idah.

    Okpanchi, a staff of the Ministry of Agriculture, Kogi State was rescued by the patrol team of FRSC who were informed by an okada rider that saw him when he was trying to take his life.

    Acting on this report, the team immediately dashed to the location where they found Okpanachi in an unconscious state.

    The FRSC patrol team through the administering of Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) on the culprit was able to regain his consciousness.

    Our reporter further confirmed that during the CPR, the police were contacted and they met the FRSC team at the scene while administering the CPR.

    Read Also: Kogi: Kidnapping, ritual killing, robbery hampering road projects

    Also, in an exclusive interview with the Nation, Okpanachi made known his thought as regards the attempted suicide case.

    In his words, he said, “The hardship is too much for me and I can’t cope than to hang myself.

    “For the past two years, I have not taken a kobo after wasting all my money going to Lokoja for screening,” he said.