In spite of the criticisms it has come under in recent times, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has continued to strive to make the nation’s roads safer for motorists. BENJAMIN UMUTEME writes.
When the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) was established in 1988, it was given the mandate to address the issue of safety on Nigerian roads which at that time had become not only slaughtering slabs but also of serious concern to the government.
Its core mandate is to minimise accidents and make roads safer for all the users.
Unlike most government agencies, the corps is knowledge and performance-driven with vision and key performance indicators (KPIs) clearly spelt for its operations which continue to show in the professional manner its personnel carry out their activities.
Part of its KPIs include the coordination of a safe corridor project maintenance and a road safety audit on roads nationwide. Also, the establishment of the corps now makes the government legally responsible for improving standards of road infrastructure, promote the needs of all road users as part of urban planning and promote development of new road infrastructure.
In its over three decades of operation, the FRSC has grown to become a role model on how a government agency should be run.
Changing Phase
However, the appointment of Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, as Corps Marshal, there is a new impetus in the way and manner officials of the agency have been carrying out its duties with zest and gusto.To quicken the response time to accidents and other incidents that might arise, FRSC under Oyeyemi has been able to make available free numbers for motorists to utilise for prompt response to crash victims. This is anchored by the agency’s call centre. In addition, the corps has been able to expand its ambulance services nationwide as well as expand its array of road side clinics and help areas nationwide.
Making Nigerian roads safer
As the number one agency saddled with the responsibility of ensuring the safety of motorists on the highways, the FRSC under the leadership of Oyeyemi had continued to engage stakeholders across the nation on minimum safety standards required of every road user.
For instance, in one of the recent stakeholders engagements with tanker owners in Ogun state, the state Sector Commander, Mr Ahmed Umar, urged them to comply with minimum safety standards required by the law to avoid unnecessary mishaps on the highway.
Umar enjoined tanker owners to be law abiding and ensure that their vehicles were properly inspected by tanker farm officials at the depots before putting them on the roads.
“They should conform to safety standards as required by law for them to carry such liquid cargos.
“In addition, they need to have a recommended fire extinguishers so as to reduce havoc during the crash,” he said.
The sector commander also urged them to install safety valves on their vehicles so that the content could be transferred to other vehicles when an accident occurs.
Umar equally advised them to ensure that their vehicles were roadworthy and drivers have valid licence to minimise damage when crash happens.
In this regard, it has covered 1, 575 routes, impounded 3,205 vehicles and apprehended 5,630 offenders for committing 6,880 offences during the Easter special patrol from March 31 to April 7, 2021.
According to the corps, there has seen a reduction in the number traffic road crashes from a total of 200 to 103 in the same period in 2019 representing a 14 per cent decrease.
In line with its mandate, the corps also arraigned 87 offenders in mobile courts, convicted 79 with the option of fines and sentenced one to prison during the Easter celebration. All these were possible with the establishment of Station Offices in almost all the 774 local governments.
He added that intensified public enlightenment and sensitisation campaigns were held nationwide in collaboration with key stakeholders in the transportation sector and beyond, while equally noting that the corps carried out more effective patrol operations, when compared to the same period in 2019.
According to the corps spokesman, Bisi Kazeem, continuous stakeholders collaboration across the board has helped in achieving the feat.
“It also implies that drivers have stepped up compliance with established traffic regulations.
“When comparing the two years, the same period in 2019, the corps arrested a total of 6,961 offenders in 2019 as against 5,630 in 2021 representing 19.12 per cent decrease and a total of 7,708 offences as against 6,880 in 2021 representing 10.74 per cent decrease.
Rewarding commitment, dedication
In order to encourage staff to further put in their best, the FRSC promoted 10 deserving senior officers, 26 Deputy Corps Commanders (DCC) who were elevated ted to the rank of Corps Commander (CC).
According to a statement, the approval came at the end of the meeting of 12 April, 2021 ratifying the resolution of the establishment committee.Speaking on the promotion, Oyeyemi noted that with every promotion comes greater responsibilities.
While charging those promoted to continue to be focused, dedicated and show passion for the job, Oyeyemi urged those not promoted to keep faith alive as more opportunities still abound for promotion in the future.
On his part, the board chairman, Bukhari Bello, said the transparency and objectivity that characterised the whole process was second to none.He noted that the promotion exercise was part of the corps’ drive towards rewarding excellence and hard work in line with the administrative philosophy of the present leadership of the agency.Presidential support
In a bid to further give fillip to the corps’ efforts at making roads safe for all, the federal government recently approved an intervention fund for the renewal of the FRSC fleets and facilities damaged during the 2020 #EndSARS protests across the country.
According to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, it would help to facilitate the effective enforcement of road traffic regulations and to also rebuild the burnt buildings.
“The federal government acknowledges the contribution of the FRSC to the reduction in Road Traffic Crashes (RTC) and facilities on the nation’s highways.
“The president has continued to support these efforts through approvals for infrastructural development, vehicles and equipment,” Mustapha said.At the heat of the #EndSARS protests in October 2020, several formations of the corps were attacked with property and operational vehicles either damaged or burnt.
“It is my belief that the corps will put these newly acquired vehicles to effective use in ensuring the safety of our roads, ” he said.
Changing attitude to work
One thing that continues to stand the FRSC out among other agencies is their new relationship with motorists.
Every road user would not fail to notice it. All these are due to the need to make roads safe.
Only recently, the Oko-Afo outpost of Lagos State Sector Command rendered assistance to a woman in labour while in transit. The singular act was able to save the pregnant woman and her baby.
“At about 0832hrs on Thursday night while on patrol at Area K Police Station in Morogbo, a Mazda bus transporting passengers stopped in front of the team and lodged a complaint.
“The complaint was that a pregnant woman was in labour. We quickly used the patrol vehicle to convene her to the nearest he nearest health care destination.”
Also, the corps surprised many Nigerians when some of its officers returned the sum of N716, 800 found at an auto-crash site at Ozubulu along the Onitsha-Owerri Expressway to the family of the deceased.
Receiving the money from the FRSC delegation, the son of the deceased, Chibueze Oparaocha said, “I was surprised when we got the call to come and collect the money found on my late mother. I did not believe that such a gesture could still happen in Nigeria of today. “I thank the FRSC for their efforts and honesty.”
In the same vein, an Abuja resident, John Musa, was not surprised by the new zeal with which FRSC personnel are carrying out their duties.
“When I read how the corps returned over N700,000 to the son of an accident victim I was not surprised because even the way they attend to road users these days has really improved. I commend the leadership of the FRSC; it’s a lesson on how a public officers should behave,” he said.
