The Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC), has warned that speed limit, seat belt, vehicles with bad or worn-out tyres, dangerous driver and route violation offenders would be sanctioned and penalized at the mobile Court.
The call was made on Friday 4th December 2020, by the Assistant Corp Marshall Emmanuel Abe, in charge of Zonal Command, Benin City, who was represented by Mr. Ayodele Kumapayi, Anambra State Commander at the “2020 Ember Month Safety Campaign flag-off”, ceremony with the theme: “Drive Safe and Stay Safe”, in Asaba.
He cautioned drivers to avoid drinking and answering phone calls while driving.
“Before you must drive, purchase your driving license, consider other road users while driving, inspect your vehicles before embarking on any trip and always be on your seatbelt while driving”, he further cautioned.
He charged them to take adequate rest before continuing on a journey saying “if you must drink, don’t drive and if you must drive, don’t drink. Always drive with a common sense that is safe for you and other road users or install a speed limit device to regulate your speed”.
He tasked pedestrians to make use of several crossing signs or the pedestrian bridges just as he noted that there is a working synergy between the Anambra and Delta state Commands to ensure a seamless free flow of traffic during the yuletide especially on the bridge head.
“I want to assure the public that no one will ever sleep on the road as a result of the period while enjoining each and everyone of you to obey traffic rules and regulations”, he said.
In his opening remarks, the Delta state Deputy Commander and Head of Operations, Mr. Bakare Fatai Adesina, noted that the Command has frantically tackled various roads infractions such as speed limit violation Excessive Load violation, route violation, seat belt violation, tyre violation, dangerous driving, drivers license violation and Number plat violation.
The Head of Operations, revealed that the Command has equally carried out robust public enlightenment programme at Motor Parks, Churches, Mosques, Markets and other advocacy programmes to achieve reduction in road crashes.
According to him, “FRSC RS5.2 Delta and Component Unit Commands, have veered into the 2020 Corporate strategic goal of being visible which is also in tandem with the global goal (UN Decades of Action) 2011-2020 of reducing RTC death and injuries by 50% by 2020.
“The FRSC at the National headquarter has fully demonstrated the willingness to achieve the above stated goals with massive support given to the Command in terms of logistics, infrastructure, finance and technical”.
He thanked the FRSC RS5 HQ Zonal Command, Benin City headed by Assistant Corp Marshall Emmanuel Abe, over the massive administration and logistic support given to the Command in the year under review.
Mr. Adesina, sized the opportunity to appreciate the State government under the watch of Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, all local government Councils for the support which has brought the Command to its present state.
He noted that if not for the intervention of the state government, some of the roads would become impassable just as he used the opportunity to applaud sister agencies like the army, police, NSCD , DSS, NDLEA, DESTMA and the Correctional services who have made road safety job of making the roads safe.
“I also thank all our major stakeholders, the NURTW, and other Unions for their contributions to the success achieved by the Command”.
He vowed that the Command and all the component Units would tackle head-on the perennial hold up being experienced in some parts of the State especially the head bridge.
“We will make sure that we have free flow of traffic at all times”.
While calling on Unit Commanders and Special Marshals to work assiduously with sister agencies in their various jurisdictions to bring the goals of this year’s ember month’s flag-off to realization, he prayed God to bring all to the end of the year 2020 and to see the year 2021.
Several goodwill messages were given by key stakeholders who were present at the flag-off ceremony.
