As part of efforts to improve road safety management within the West Africa region, the Republic of Ghana is planning a partnership with Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) on database integration issues affecting motor vehicle registration as well as drivers on the continent of Africa.
The corps marshal and the chief executive of the FRSC, Mr Ostia Chidoka, who made the diclosure during a scheduled visit to Ghana also advocated an integrated base on motor vehicle registration for drivers within the West African sub-region, as well as the need to cement the existing relationship between the two countries to increase safer roads and fuller lives in the region.
The reciprocated scheduled visit was in line with a recent visit by the Ghanaian President to Nigeria, John Drama Mhama, who was able represented by that country’s Vice President at the FRSC 5th annual lecture series. It was at the instance of an invitation by President Mhama for the FRSC corps marshal to be in Ghana for further discussions and to find areas of mutual understanding and collaboration between Nigeria and Ghana.
The corps marshal, who is also the President of the West Africa Road Safety Organization (WARSO), buttressed that an integrated database on motor vehicles registration as well as drivers, between the two countries would go a long way to boost efforts being presently put in place to tackle insecurity challenges militating against the West Africa sub-region.
In his response, the Ghanaian President praised the corps marshal for the sustainable efforts of ensuring the safety of the motoring publics, which the FRSC has taken positively under the present administration to transform road safety management in Nigeria which had, to a long extent, impacted positively on the Nigeria motoring publics.
The Ghanaian president also urged West Africa countries to emulate the Kenya government which seeks to give voice to passengers and also to checkmate drivers against reckless driving. The high point of the visit was the need to raise the bar on road safety issues in West Africa, and also to enhance capacity building initiatives to enrich and equip drivers as well as road safety officers with contemporary global issues for road safety and traffic management. Draman also assured the corps marshal of his country’s readiness to partners with Nigerian FRSC, to replicate its on-going plans to assist Sierra Leone to establish a lead agency in road traffic management in Ghana.
Ibrahim Paul Yushau,
FRSC, Kafanchan, Kaduna state
