The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Olukayode Ariwoola, KRSD, an NGO and a Foundation, former Aviation Minister and Corp Marshal, Chief Osita Chidoka as well as other stakeholders have restated needs for an urgent review of the National Road Safety Policy, safety development plan to reduce traffic fatalities in Nigeria.
They made the plea in Abuja over the weekend at the 11th Edition of the KRSD Annual Road Safety Press Conference.
The event coincided with the KRSD accreditation and participation at the just concluded United Nations High-Level Meeting on Global Road Safety in New York, USA
The CJN at the event condemned the scourge of hit and run and frequent accidents on the Nigeria roads.
Going forward, he then advocated adequate trainings for Judiciary officials on how to handle cases pertaining to road accidents and succour for victims, assuring the Foundation that the training would be facilitated by him through the National Judicial Institute (NJI).
In her opening remarks at the occasion, Founder, KRSD Foundation Nigeria, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem explained that the Foundation was set to prevent at least 50% of road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030.
Mensem who is the President of the Court of Appeal decried incessant spate of road accident in the country, calliing on government,NGOs, private and Corporate Organisations and stakeholders and policy makers to synergize and implement a document capable of reducing deaths on our roads and thus save the lives of innocent Africans on the roads.
“In Nigeria it is estimated that more than 6,000 people die from road traffic crashes and the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) claims that no fewer than two people die on Nigeria roads every four hours,” She said.
Mensem thereafter lauded the management of Total Energies Upstream Nig. Limited for supporting the Foundation and crash victims.
In a brief speech, Chidoka lauded the Foundation for its initiatives, insisting that road safety is everybody’s business.
He further tasked the Nigeria government to continue to sensitise, orientate and facilitate the insertion of road safety into the school’s curriculum.
Other speakers at the occasion were representative of the Acting Corp Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Mr. Dauda Biu, the National Orientation Agency (NOA) and other road safety stakeholders.
