By Patrick Ochei
The Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Delta State Command, has sought the partnership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Delta State Council towards the promotion of safety consciousness amongst the motoring public and other road users.
This partnership was perfected when the 20th Sector Commander, Mr. Udeme Bassey Eshiet paid a familiarisation visit to the NUJ Press Centre at Maryam Babangida Way, Asaba, where he appealed to the leadership of the Union to help propagate and sensitize the public on the need to be conscious of their safety while on the road.
Mr. Eshiet said, as a public enlightenment officer, he would never take NUJ for granted, given that he was a cautious friend of the media in the public enlightenment section of FRSC, before becoming the Sector Commander.
According to him, “I know what it takes to engage the public and, NUJ is not an exception; I have always worked with the media to achieve results.
“Delta is a peculiar state and that is why I have to engage the NUJ as a critical stakeholder in this project. I need the journalists to be at the centre of my administration and operation in the State.
“The truth is that if we don’t sensitize the motoring public on the safety rules of FRSC, they will continue to falter and attract punishment to themselves. We need to engage the public adequately through our various sensitization campaigns, and we can’t do this alone.
“The best channel through which this can be effectively and efficiently done, is by utilizing the platform of the NUJ. And of course, that is why we are here to lobby you to partner with us on this national assignment”, the Sector Commander submitted.
In his response, the Chairman of NUJ, Comrade Michael Ikeogwu welcomed the Sector Commander and his team to the Press Centre.
He said members of the Union would cherish the visit for a long time, adding that he would never take it for granted, being a visit that was unsolicited.
He there and then, granted the request of the Sector Commander for a partnership, maintaining that it would never be in the interest of NUJ to deny any organisation the opportunity of collaboration or synergy, especially when it is geared towards human and societal development.
He assured the FRSC leadership of the cooperation of the NUJ in pertinent media coverages on request, imploring them to reach out whenever they have activities deserving of media propagation and should consider it done; thereby stating that “You should consider your request granted on a platter of gold”.
