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Tag: Ikechukwu Igwe

  • FRSC pledges to reduce traffic crashes on highway

    The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Bayelsa Command, has reiterated its commitment to reduce traffic crashes in the state, urging drivers to desist from speeding and alcoholism on the wheels.

    The Sector Commander, Mr Ikechukwu Igwe made the call on Saturday in Yenagoa during the closing session of the Corp’s 2019 Quarterly Healthy Week.

    Igwe stated that the week-long programme tagged: “Good Sight, Essential for Safe Motoring and Accident Reduction,” was to help drivers in Bayelsa know their health status and thereby promote safer roads.

    “The programme is our own initiative and we intend to make it a quarterly event for drivers in the state.

    “This is part of our efforts to ensure that road crashes are reduced on the highway because, it is dangerous to be on the road as driver, when you have bad eye sight and High Blood Pressure.

    “We have given them some medical assistant including eye check up, especially on glaucoma screening and Hepatitis B test.

    “I believe we have made a good start; a hitch free exercise and so much of the drivers have benefited; some with serious cases have been referred to specialist hospital,” he said.

    READ ALSO: Overloading: FRSC goes tough on offenders

    Dr Uzoegbo Okechukwu, Optometrist from Optometry Department in the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Yenagoa, said good eye sight could aid good driving.

    He said that a driver could not be safe in the road with poor sight and other related illness like Hepatitis B.

    “There is need for glaucoma screening for drivers to enable them have good eye sight in order to reduce accident on the roads,” the doctor explained.

    Mr Okoafor Jones, Chairman of Welfare and Association of Protection Human Right for Drivers/Tricycle Owners Association of Nigeria (TOAN), Bayelsa, lauded FRSC on the medical outreach.

    Jones, who urged the corps to make the programme a continuous exercise for drivers, said his members were ready to support all policies towards having safer road.

    The programme started on Tuesday.

  • One dies in Bayelsa auto crash

    One dies in Bayelsa auto crash

    The Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps ( FRSC ) in Bayelsa, Mr Ikechukwu Igwe, said on Tuesday that a middle-aged woman had died and more than five persons were injured in an accident in Yenagoa.

    Igwe confirmed this in an interview in Yenago

    The incident involved a tipper lorry and a Toyota bus which collided at the Swali Market.

    Igwe said the accident was caused by reckless driving, saying the corpse of the deceased had been deposited at the mortuary of a hospital in the state.

    “Those who sustained injuries, including the affected drivers of the tipper and bus, are receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital in the state capital.

    “The incident was unfortunate; the FRSC is warning roadside traders in the state to stay off the road; stop spilling trading activities to the road because our personnel will not take it lightly with anyone caught selling  wares on the roads.

    “We are going to mobilise our special marshals to monitor the Swali axis, especially the market area in order to curb roadside trading in the area.

    “The FRSC officers will work with the Bayelsa Government to ensure that all the roads blocked by traders in the state are reclaimed,” he said.

    NAN

  • FRSC to deploy 200 officers in Bayelsa – Yuletide

    FRSC to deploy 200 officers in Bayelsa – Yuletide

    The Federal Road Safety Corps ( FRSC ), Bayelsa Sector Command on Wednesday, promised to deploy at least, 200 officers and 300 Special Marshals to various highways in the state to improve safety of life during the Yuletide season.

    The Sector Commander for the state, Mr Ikechukwu Igwe, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN ) in Yenagoa.

    ‘’We are going to deploy 200 personnel and 300 Special Marshals who will be on patrol at strategic corridors,’’ he said.

    Igwe said that the deployment of the personnel was also to ensure free flow of traffic, especially at the different identified flash points in the area.

    Read Also: FRSC sacks 25 for misconduct

    He decried the rate of death arising from road crashes in the state and reiterated the corps’ commitment to safety on the road, during and after the yuletide season.
    “Our main focus is going to be on the highway, which is the east-west road that links Bayelsa, Rivers, Delta and other states across the country.

    “The FRSC is a partner in progress with other security agencies, including the Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps ( NSCDC ), the Bayelsa Security Management Agency among others.

    ’’We are going to work with them in order to achieve the desired success. “Our emergency and medical team are available.

    “I urge motorists to drive according to traffic rules and regulations.

    ‘’They should avoid speeding, overloading, drink-driving and ensure that their vehicles are in good condition before driving them on the highways. “This year’s campaign is targeting operation zero crash,” he said.

    On safety awareness, Igwe said the corps had sustained its enlightenment campaign on tips to ensure safe driving culture and for the motorists to be safety conscious on the wheel.

    “Our campaign has gone to the grassroots; we have had series of sensitisation programmes with the Tricycle Operators and NURTW within and outside the state capital. I believe all the road users are going to cooperate with us during the season.”

  • FRSC arraigns 187 traffic offenders in Bayelsa

    FRSC arraigns 187 traffic offenders in Bayelsa

    The Federal Road Safety Corps ( FRSC ), Bayelsa Command says it   arraigned no fewer than 187 traffic offenders in the last four months for violating various traffic regulations in the state.

    The Sector Commander, Mr Ikechukwu Igwe, who made this known on Wednesday in an interview in Yenagoa, said that the courts convicted 135 of the offenders.

    Igwe, however, said the courts gave the convicts an option to pay fines ranging from between N2,000, to N20, 000, depending on their offences.

    “Between June and September, we have been able to arraign 187 persons through our mobile court, and out of the number arraigned, 135 were convicted.

    “The most prevalence offences were worn-out tyres, speed violation, failure to install speed limiting device, failure to use seat belt, drunk-driving, and use of unlicenced vehicles among others.

    “We have a special campaign on drunk-driving because apart from speeding, intake of drugs while driving has been a major concern, especially in this corridor,” he said.

    Igwe, however, noted that more than 65 per cent of road traffic crashes were as a result of the speed limit violation and drunk-driving.

    According to him, the speed limiting device is a strategic intervention on road traffic accidents.

    “The use of mobile court is part of our enforcement strategy to reduce road traffic crashes not only in Bayelsa but across states of the nation.

    “The mobile court is yielding result and we will continue to prosecute traffic law breakers in the state,” he said.

    He also appealed to motorists in the state to adhere strictly to traffic rules and regulations while driving.

    NAN

  • FRSC threatens to arrest, prosecute drunk drivers in Bayelsa

    FRSC threatens to arrest, prosecute drunk drivers in Bayelsa

    The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Bayelsa command, has threatened to apprehend and prosecute drunk drivers especially, during the yuletide.

    Mr Ikechukwu Igwe, the state FRSC Sector Commander, who made the threat in an interview in Yenagoa on Monday, said the command had procured equipment to detect liquor from the breathe of motorists.

    “We have gotten machine that we shall be using to detect drunk drivers in order to safeguard lives and property of road users.

    “When we arrest you, you will be prosecuted according to the law; so, avoid driving under the influence of alcohol.

    “Speed limit and over-loading violation are some of the major causes of fatal accidents on the highways,” he said.

    Igwe however, disclosed that the command recorded only eight road crashes between September and October.

    He explained that out of the eight crashes, three were fatal while five were serious.

    “The fatal crashes are those that involved loss of lives while the serious crash is when people have injuries.

    “Though, we thank God, the incidence of crashes has reduced in the state; I must tell you that, so far in the month of November, no accident has been recorded.

    “Yes, we attribute the reduction in road traffic crash to the corps’ improved operations and enforcement of speed limiting device ,” he said.

    Igwe, however commended the activities marking the Africa Road Safety Day/ World Day of remembrance for Road Traffic Victim, saying it was strategic to sensitize the general public on the need for safer road.

    The Road Safety Day held between Nov. 13 and Nov.19, was a global awareness on the road safety issues among stakeholders for prevention of traffic-related injuries and deaths.

    NAN

  • One killed in Bayelsa tanker explosion

    One killed in Bayelsa tanker explosion

    A petrol tanker has exploded along the Mbiama axis of the East-West Road in Bayelsa, causing an inferno that killed a taxi driver.

    At least five vehicles were burnt in the incident that occurred at about 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday.

    Investigations revealed that three of the vehicles were damaged beyond recognition while two were burnt partially.

    The Bayelsa State Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Mr. Ikechukwu Igwe, deployed his officials to ensure free-flow of traffic along the busy road.

    Sources said the driver lost control of the tanker after discharging fuel in one of the filling stations.

    One of the sources said: “The tanker fell shortly after coming out of the filling station. It did not discharge all the products in that filling station. The rest of the product spilled on the road.

    “We later heard a bang and fire followed it immediately. It caused panic in the area but the immediate presence of FRSC officials brought the situation under control. The officials were there till about 11:00 p.m. to control traffic.”

    Igwe, who visited the area on Thursday morning, said only a taxi driver died in the incident and sympathised with persons whose vehicles were burnt.

    He said instead of fleeing the scene after the tanker collapsed, the taxi driver, opened the bonnet of his vehicle and attempted to disconnect his battery.

    He said in the process of trying to remove his vehicle’s battery, a spark occurred and caused the explosion.

    He said: “The driver just discharged fuel at Lionman Filling Station but as he was going out, the tanker fell. The taxi man that died in the incident came out and discovered that there was no road because other drivers abandoned their vehicles and fled the area.

    “The man decided to disconnect his vehicle’s battery and there was a spark because the remaining fuel from the tanker had spilled on the road.  The spark caused the fire that killed the taxi driver and burnt five vehicles.”