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Tag: FRSC

  • Safety orientation for FRSC staff, motorists

    Safety orientation for FRSC staff, motorists

    More than any other season, the Yuletide presents a peculiar challenge: more people hit the road, necessitating more vigilance by road safety personnel. That was why the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) directed that its staff as well as motorists be properly oriented in the run-up to Christmas and New Year festivities.

    Such a sensitisation has just ended in Aba, with attendants from the five states of the zone. Its theme was “Road Safety, a Shared Responsibility”.

    The Commanding Officer, RS9, Corps Marshal Samuel Obayemi told reporters that the exercise was carried out to “remind all road users in the zone and the country that they have a responsibility to ensure there is safety on the roads within the festive period and beyond.

    Obayemi who was represented at the event by Gojara Yahaya Yusuf, the zonal Head of Operations said that the expectations of the command was that by the end of the exercise, FRSC personnel that would be deployed on the roads would work optimally and drivers drive with safety knowing fully  that they needed to get to their various destinations safely.

    Yusuf also said that having patrolled on major roads in the zone where vehicular activities are going to be on the increase, they have been able to access the roads and spotted out some of what he described as black spots, assuring that they would advice government appropriately.

    According to him, “The Yuletide is fast approaching and it is expected that by December, there will be heavy inflow of vehicles on roads in the southeast and other cities. People from this area (Southeastern States) usually travel from their different locations across the country to visit home for one festive activity or the other and so it is usually a hectic period for us.

    “But we are not relenting and that is why we have come to train our personnel and also sensitize drivers on the need to be safety conscious on the road and to avoid anything that will make them go against traffic rules and regulations.

    “The same exercise we are having here is replicated across other states in the southeast. We are going to deploy a handful of our staff on the roads. We are going to station ambulance at some strategic areas along the expressway. We have been able to notice that Obolafor-Nsukka, Okigwe-Umuahia, Umuahia-Aba, Aba-Ikot Ekpene and among others usually witness traffic gridlock within the festive period and we are going to pay special attention on the aforementioned roads.

    “We are warning drivers to avoid overloading their vehicles which puts their lives and that of their passengers in dangers. Anyone caught overloading or going against the road traffic codes will be booked and punished appropriately. We are also made arrangements with government hospitals to accept and treat accident victims brought to their hospitals, at least to save their lives, while we appeal to private hospital owners to do same in order to save accident victims’ lives,” Yahaya pleaded.

    Abia State Sector Commander, Rindom Kumven in a separate interview promised that the State Command was going to build on the exercise to work optimally during the anticipated hectic period.

    Kumven appealing to public spirited individuals, states and federal government to assist the agency in meeting logistic challenges facing them said that they were going to make use of the available limited resources within the command to ensure that road users had a smooth ride in and out Abia State during the festivity.

    He urged drivers to make sure that they double check their vehicles to make sure it was in good shape before embarking on any trip and warned alcoholic merchants in and around motor parks to relocate their trade, adding that any driver caught driving under the influence of alcohol will be fined or prosecuted.

    They later took to the highway where they educate drivers and as well carried a thorough check to ensure that they maintained safety standard.

  • FHA to assist FRSC on housing scheme

    The Federal Housing Authority (FHA) is to assist the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in the implementation of its “One-Man-One House” policy for its staff.

    This is the outcome of a meeting between the Acting Managing Director of the FHA, David Kpue and his FRSC counterpart, Mr. Boboye Oyeyemi, in Abuja.

    Kpue, while on a visit to the FRSC headquarters, said the FHA was open to exploring ways of partnering with the Corps towards providing affordable housing for its staff. He said that the FHA had developed a Public-Public Partnership housing delivery model to assist ministries, departments and agencies of government to execute their staff housing programmes.

    The FHA helmsman said the Authority had noticed with concern that many MDA’s, without the requisite skills and competence, were dissipating their time, energy and resources on the execution of housing projects which he said had become an avoidable distraction to them. According to Kpue, the FHA had over the past three decades perfected its machinery for cost effective housing delivery and was willing to make it available to other government establishments.

    Apart from housing schemes which could be designed to meet the peculiar needs of FRSC staff, he said the Authority had completed housing estates in Lagos, Calabar, Yenagoa, Kaduna, Makurdi, Awka and Gombe from which the FRSC could acquire houses for its staff.

    The Corps Marshal, Mr. Oyeyemi said the FRSC’s vision was for every member of staff to have his own house before retirement in order to keep them focused on their primary duties. He said the visit by the FHA chief executive was timely as the Corps would in 2015 embark on an aggressive property acquisition drive to reduce the heavy burden of rent on its budget. Oyeyemi said the Corps would be happy to acquire property in FHA housing estates nationwide for its personnel.

  • FRSC protests drivers’ bad road habits

    The Federal Road Safety Corps, Ota, Itori and Ifo Unit Commands have protested the poor attitude of some drivers on the Ogun State axis.

    The exercise, tagged: “Demonstration of public enlightenment,” was part of the special intervention programme for December.

    The Regular Marshals attached to the concerned commands displayed various placards some of which read: “Say no to overloading”; “no to excessive speeding”; “drive to save lives”; “road safety is a shared responsibility”; “one way constitutes dangerous driving and dangers to pedestrians”.

    Other placards had messages such as: “obey traffic rules”; “no to reckless driving”; “no to worn-out tyres”; “no to underaged drivers” and “driving without drivers’ licence is prohibited.

    The Ota Unit Commander, Mr. Sunday Omafu, said the exercise was organised following the inhuman attitude of some motorists who kill people like the Boko Haram insurgents on the roads.

    He recalled that a Mazda bus with registration number AGL139XF, is still on the Corps’ wanted list for hitting a Special Marshal on patrol at Lagos/Abeokuta Expressway, Ogun State, while trying to escape arrest; while another policeman was knocked down while crossing the expressway, at Dalemo Bus Stop in Ota Local Government Area of the state by a driver of a yellow  mini bus who drove against traffic.

    Omafu, appealed to drivers, okada operators and tricyclists to always see FRSC and other traffic management agencies as partners.

    He urged them to be disciplined and eschew attitudes that could warrant  their arrest.

    He said preventing an accident is better than being sorry and sober after the act.

    He spoke against over speeding, saying, it thrills, but kills. “Keep a  rein on your speed, so that you’ll be in control of the vehicle,” he said.

    He urged motorists to always obey traffic rules , which he said were designed with safety in mind.

    He advised motorists to always maintain good lane, obey recommended distance between vehicles and consider the pedestrians’ safety while driving.

    “It is important to display appropriate indicators or signals especially, while changing lanes or before a turn. Having respect for other drivers on the road is sacrosanct to road safety,” he said.

    He enjoined motorists to always wear seat belts, saying it is life saving. Due preference, he pleaded, should be given to pedestrians and children crossing the road, urging road users to be cognisant of caution signs to enable them reduce their speed. Vehicles, he advised,  must be in good working condition before embarking on a journey to avoid any compromise on quality.

    According to him, it is imperative to inflate tyres with the right air pressure to avoid tyre bursts on the road.

    He warned against other habits such asdrugs and alcohol injection driving and falling asleep behind the wheel, which he said had  led  too many to the grave.

    “Lack of adequate rest leaves adverse effect on mental alertness, slow down reflexes, and even causes momentary sleepiness behind the wheel,” he added.

  • FRSC chief warn southeast drivers

    FRSC chief warn southeast drivers

    The Southeast Zonal Commander, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Corps Marshal Samuel Obayemi has warned drivers plying the eastern highways to drive safely and avoid acts that could lead to flouting of road safety codes.

    Obayemi who spoke to reporters in Aba, the Commercial nerve of Abia State during his official visit at the Aba command frowned at the manner commercial motorists overloads their vehicles with goods in a bid to make more money without considering the impact of their actions on roads, their cars, passengers and other road users whose lives he said they (drivers) were putting at risk.

    The Zonal Commanding Officer represented by Yahaya Yusuf Gojara, Zonal Head of Operation FRSC Zone RS 9, Enugu assuring road users under the zone of their safety during this year’s Yuletide said that the corps was going to descend heavily on any driver that would flout road safety codes or put the lives of his passengers at risk.

  • ‘2015 50% road accidents reduction achievable’

    ‘2015 50% road accidents reduction achievable’

    The target of reducing road deaths by 50 per cent by the year 2015 as set out in the Accra Declaration (2007) by African Heads of States and Governments, and the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety: 2011 – 2020 is attainable, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has, Boboye Oyeyemi,  said.

    He made this known at the Post-crash management workshop for traffic management agencies organised by the Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCO) in Lagos.

    Oyeyemi, who was represented by FRSC Lagos State Coordinator for Special Marshal and Participation, Babatunde Benson, said the main objective of post crash management is to avoid loss of lives by untimely or improperly administered medical care in the hectic aftermath of crash/disaster.

    He hailed SPDC for its sustained contributions to the promotion of safety in Nigeria.

    Oyeyemi reiterated the need for mutual understanding of the roles the various emergency agencies in emergency management.

    “I commend the holistic and collaborative approach of the training programme as evidenced in the assemblage of key emergency managers in the City of Lagos. This will go a long way to cementing the existing synergy among the agencies in handling disaster,” he said.

    Shell Communications General Manager, Dr Philip Mshelbila said 75 per cent of fatalities occurrences are due to post crash activities.

    This, Mshelbila said, is due to inadequate knowledge on how to rescue victims.

    Training people on post crash activities, he said, is germane to reduction of the fatalities.

    He pledged that SNEPCO will continue to work with FRSC and other stakeholders to bring sanity on the roads.

    For Mrs Wabotem Ene, Road Safety Coordinator, Shell Companies in Nigeria, the duty of the company is not only to support traffic managers, but also to ensure that people walk the talk.

    Mrs Ene challenged the stakeholders to always do the right thing in reducing road crashes.

    Mr James Adefila, the Head of Disaster Management Department of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), urged the organisers to extend the training to marketers and various schools because disaster management might not be on ground when accident occurs.

    Mrs Esther Johnson-Agiri of the Lagos State Fire Service called for localisation of the campaign for road accident reduction.

    Post crash accidents, she said, could be prevented if volunteers on the spots know what to do.

  • FRSC boss warns against illegal business

    The Zonal Commanding Officer for Lagos and Ogun states of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Assistant Corps Marshal Godwin Ogagaoghene, has urged its officers and men to continue their legitimate duties within the ambits of the law without fear or favour.

    He also enjoined them to improve their regulatory and enforcement capacity during this Yuletide and beyond to enable the corps to achieve its goals this year.

    Ogagaoghene spoke at Idiroko Unit Command during a familiarisation tour to the command.

    He said: “All officers are expected to work harder and to play active role in order to attain the best result this Yuletide and beyond.”

    He urged them to improve on road safety audit, motor vehicle administration, public communication and road use education/campaigns to reduce road crashes by 15 per cent and fatality by 25 per cent.

    He further advised the officers attached to Idiroko Unit Command to be cautious while performing their duty to avoid environmental risks.

    On corruption, Ogagaoghene urged them to shun illegal businesses such as smuggling, bribery and other forms of vices that are capable of tarnishing the image of the commission, even as he advised them on the relationship between them and the public which he said must be cordial.

    He pledged management’s commitment to improve their welfare.

    The Idiroko Unit Secretary, Road Transport Employers’ Association of Nigeria (RETEAN), Comrade Egbeyemi Rotimi, thanked the FRSC for its efforts to ensure that our roads are crash-free.

    Rotimi pledged support of the union to the FRSC.

    He said the union had appointed officers that are patrolling garages on daily basis to monitor the activities of drivers. This, he said, aimed at ensuring that no driver is drunk before embarking on any journey and to eradicate trading of alcoholic drinks in the garages.

    Present at the event were Idiroko Unit Co-ordinator, Special Marshal and Partnership, Elder Toyin Taiwo, Baale of Oko Eye, Otunba A. Abogunrin (Isepe), High Chief P. Afolabi (JP), former Interim Chairman of Ipokia Local Government Area, Hon. Adeyemi Samiu, among others.

  • ‘Safety on the road is everybody’s business’

    The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Coleman Wire and Cable Company, Mr. George Onafowokan, has called on corporate organisations and individuals to support the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to enhance safety of lives and property on the roads.

    Onafowokan made the plea at the official inauguration of the FRSC Sagamu Unit’s light project.

    He said: “Safety on the road is everyone’s business and it should not be left to one agency.”

    He urged corporate organisations, religious leaders, individuals and leaders of the various transport unions to sponsor workshops, train and sensitise drivers, , especially heavy duty drivers and other road users on road safety tips.

    Onofowokan who noted that 75 per cent of Nigerian drivers lacked adequate knowledge of safe driving and safety tips, said this ignorance contributes immensely to road crashes in the country.

    He appealed to the drivers to drive carefully and shun all form of indiscipline as the Christmas rushing draw close.

    The Sagamu Unit Commander, Mr Benedict Akunne, in his speech thanked Flakky Group of Companies and Coleman Cable and Wire Company, all in Ogun State, for spearheading the electrification of the unit’s office.

    He expressed joy that the command will soon begin to enjoy electricity, which it has lacked for several years.

    Akunne said: “This is the first time in the history of this command that we would operate with electricity since 2007.

    “Electrification has been quite elusive to the command, thereby reducing the operational quality and standard.”

    Akunne said the command would no longer work under stress and frustration, because of the kind gesture of the two companies adding that the electricity would improve the environment.

    The FRSC, Lagos and Ogun States Zonal Commanding Officer Mr. Godwin Ogagaoghene and Ogun State Sector Commander, Mr Adegoke Adetunji, praised the companies for the gesture.

    Ogagaoghene, urged more corporate organisation’s partnership with the Corps to tackle all indiscipline causing accidents on the roads.

    Ogagaoghene, said Nigeria can only overcome incessant crashes, if only everybody can be involved in tackling the lawlessness among the motorists.

  • FRSC liable to contempt if it imposes fines, says lawyer

    A  Lagos lawyer, Mr Tope Alabi, has said officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) are liable for contempt of court if they impose fines on erring motorists.

    The Federal High Court in Lagos had nullified FRSC’s powers to impose fines.

    It held that FRSC’s function “should not go beyond issuance of mere notices of offence.”

    Delivering verdict on a suit filed by Alabi, Justice James Tsoho held that FRSC cannot turn itself into a court of law by punishing those who commit traffic offences.

    The corps reacted to the judgment by saying it has the right to impose fines because the Court of Appeal in another judgment held that the FRSC has statutory and constitutional powers to arrest and detain vehicles of road traffic violators, as well as regulate and set deadline for the usage and renewal of motor vehicle licenses, number plates and driver licenses.

    Alabi, in a statement, said: “The reaction of the FRSC to the judgment of 26 September 2014 delivered by Justice Tsoho is misconceived. All cases it relied upon are distinguishable from my case. The facts and the circumstances are different.

    “In the first place, the fine they imposed on me is higher than what their Act prescribes. Secondly, Section 10(7) of the Act directs FRSC to charge any offender to court. This is our right to be heard.

    “They imposed the fine without listening to me contrary to fair hearing. They held onto my licence for good six months without charging me to court despite repeated visit to their office and various letters that followed.

    “On whether FRSC Act 2007 or Nigerian Roads Traffic Regulation (NRTR 2012) are existing laws and valid, they should wait for my case in Suit No. FHC/CS/L/1233/2013 where I have put in place machinery to demolish the entire Act and Regulation.

    “If FRSC intends to go on appeal as if appeal would cage Nigerians in bondage, we would meet them there.

    “FRSC is a body which imposes fine without hearing out the supposed offenders. Also, most of the cases they celebrated are on number plates and driver’s licences.

    “Anybody arrested and mandated to pay a fine can seek the leave of the court to commence contempt proceedings against the FRSC officers concerned because the judgment in my case is valid and subsisting,” Alabi said.

  • Activating Use and Lose Law

    Activating Use and Lose Law

    Without doubt, the rate of road accidents caused by drivers under the influence of alcohol and other drugs is very high and this needs to be proactively addressed now moreso that the yuletide is fast approaching.

    Alcohol and other psychoactive drugs affect the drivers’ ability to see clearly, think aright, perceive hazards, take right decisions, obey traffic laws, react swiftly to emergencies, be courteous, stay in lane or drive safely.

    Despite the campaign against drunk driving and the use of psychoactive drugs such as cannabis or Indian (or Nigerian) hemp, a visit to the major motor parks nationwide still point to the abuse of alcohol and other psychoactive drugs in Nigeria either in form of powder, wraps or liquid under various pretence. A decorated monkey still remains a monkey.

    Consequent upon the increasing trend, it has become more expedient now more than ever before, to take more proactive and result – oriented actions to quickly stem the evil tide of drunk – and drugged driving in Nigeria.

    It is time for the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and State Government Traffic Management Agencies to acquire sufficient Breathalyzers for regular use to detect drunk or drugged drivers on all the grades of roads in Nigeria.

    Penalties such as substantial fine, suspension or revocation the Driver’s Licence, jail sentences, alcohol and drug education, drug treatment or rehabilitation whichever one is appropriate for each offender should be considered. This recommendation is part of the strategies which can make the zero tolerance goal attainable in Nigeria.

    If punitive measures are not taken early enough to prevent drunk and drugged driving in Nigeria, the rate of accident attributable to this cause will continue to be on the rise. It is not enough to stop at the campaign of “don’t drive when you drink and don’t drink when you drive”. There must be stern penalties for violators of the law. The time to start the “use and lose law” (that is, use alcohol or drug while driving and lose your Driver Licence) in Nigeria to further reduce the rate of road accidents and fatalities in Nigeria is now. Now! It has been successfully implemented in several countries and it can be successful in Nigeria as well.

     

  • ‘FRSC has powers to arrest, fine, impound vehicles’

    ‘FRSC has powers to arrest, fine, impound vehicles’

    THE Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has insisted that it has the constitutional powers to arrest erring road traffic offenders, impound vehicles used to commit such offences and impose statutorily stipulated fines.

    Corps Marshal and Chief Executive Officer of the FRSC Boboye Oyeyemi described those claiming otherwise as deliberate mischief-makers, who are “bent on misleading unsuspecting members of the public for reasons best known to them”.

    The media assistant to the corps marshal, Mr. Sani Abdullahi, who made the commission’s position known in a statement in Abuja yesterday,  described some media reports about the judicial position on the statutory functions of FRSC as misleading.

    Citing cases in which judgments were delivered on the statutory functions of the FRSC, Abdullahi said the reports gave erroneous impressions of some judicial pronouncements made between January and October this year.

    He said: “Conscious of the negative implications that such insinuations could have on unsuspecting members of the public and in view of the need to clear the air on the matter, we wish to point out that while there were cases decided against the FRSC in the recent past, there were equally others that were in favour of the commission, as delivered both at the High Courts and the Court of Appeal.

    “It is pertinent to further state that in the hierarchy of courts and based on the principle of decided cases, the decisions of appellate courts are superior to those of lower courts”