* Calls for collaboration from the media for public enlightenment
By Matthias Ogbagah
ASSBA – COMMITTED to the safety of lives and properties, the Delta State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Mr. Fredrick Ogidan has assured of the command’s readiness to reduce road crashes to its barest minimum in the ember months and the coming festive season.
Ogidan gave the assurance yesterday in his Asaba office while playing host to the members of Association of Community Newspaper Publishers of Nigeria (ACNPN) Delta State council.
While pointing out that road activities are usually on the increase during the last four months of the year, he disclosed that the command is putting modalities in place that will reduce road crashes to the barest minimum.
According to him, “We have entered ember months, you know a lot of traffic activities will start picking up and that is when we record crashes the most. But we are putting machineries in motion to make sure that this year there is minimal crashes, and even when there are crashes, we will have vehicles and ambulances well positioned so that they can quickly be at the scene of the crash, rescue these people and take them to the nearest hospital where they will be treated, including our own roadside clinic.
“We have one clinic hear in our office, tricycle operators around this area that had accidents are brought here and we treat them for free. If it is beyond us, we make sure that we promote their recovery before we now take them to the major hospital where they will be treated. This is one other thing that we do, prompt response to treatment.
“Our job is not to generate revenue, but to ensure that our roads are safe. We have a slogan in FRSC that says, ‘Safer Road, Fuller Life’, that is to say, if our roads are safe, we will live our lives to the fullest. That is one of the reasons FRSC was established.
“It is also our mandate to clear obstructions from the roads, because if a damaged vehicle is left to sleep on the road overnight, those coming from far away might ram into it, causing accidents and loss of lives. That is why we are seriously into recovery to make the roads safe”
Ogidan, however, called for collaboration from the media in the area of public enlightenment to ensure that FRSC programmes and rules are well driven and understood by the general public which will result in the safety of all.
He said, “Most people when they hear of Road Safety, what comes to their mind is that they will give us a ticket, they will book us, no, that is not why we are on the road. We are on the road to ensure attitudinal change, we want people to change these bad attitudes to the use of the road.
“We can use the road as responsible Nigerians. Let’s not overspeed, let’s not get involved in road races on our road, let’s not drive against traffic. Sometimes you see people quarreling and driving, chasing each other on the road, these are not safe acts. We need the media to drive this message to the grassroot, to let the people know that the business of safety on the road is everybody’s business.”
Speaking further, the State Boss, disclosed that the it’s Corp Marshall, Shehu Mohammad was committed to rejigging FRSC activities, creating sensitization in market places, motor parks and on the highways.
