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By Moses Akaigwe
As the body of Christ celebrates Easter, the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Dauda Ali Biu, has congratulated all Christians across the country.
In his official message to Christians in Nigeria, Dauda Biu urged the motoring public to imbibe the teachings and lessons of love and compassion that surround the Holy week and the purpose of the resurrection of Christ.
He emphasised that the wanton destruction of lives and properties on the nation’s highways resulting from people’s impatience would been avoided, if people properly imbibe the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
Dauda Biu admonished the faithfuls as well as members of the general public not to jettison the rules in the course of the celebration, but to continue to observe them in order to build on the gains so far made by the Corps’ in its mission to make the highways safer for all to use.
Speaking further, the FRSC Corps Marshal urged the celebrants to use the period of the celebration to offer special prayers for our country while restating the commitment of the Corps towards sustaining its present successes in road crash reduction.
He disclosed that Commanding Officers across the country have been given directives to be on the alert during the celebrations, to provide all necessary support to members of the public and to particularly attend to whatever emergencies that may arise.
He called on members of the public to join the FRSC in its ongoing campaigns for safer road environment by promptly reporting any road and other emergencies they notice to the FRSC Call Centre through the toll free line: 122 or directly to the studio of the National Traffic Radio through the telephone lines:08052998090 or 09067000015.
The Corps Marshal had esrlier tasked Commanding Officers to ensure full deployment of staff for maximum visibility, prompt removal of obstructions and ease of movement on all highways across the country.
This is in line with the operational guidelines of this year’s Easter special patrol scheduled to commence from 29 March to 2 April, 2024.
As contained in the Operation Order, the objectives of the special operations are reduction in Road Traffic Crashes, Road Traffic Fatalities and Road Traffic Injuries; prompt response to road traffic crash victims; unhindered engagement in purposeful public education and speedy removal of obstructions from the highways, amongst others.
Dauda Biu assured members of the public that in achieving the objectives of the special operations, the Corps will combine the engagement of the motoring public through purposeful and impactful public education programmes, strengthening of surveillance activities to regulate unprofessional excesses, sustained effective patrol operations as well as adequate monitoring on the highways.
To this end, the Corps would carryout aggressive enforcement including conducting over 200 Mobile Courts operations, with the aim of checking the following offences:
Speeding and Dangerous Driving/Overtaking,
b. Lane indiscipline/Route violation,
c. Road Obstructions,
d. Use of Phone while Driving,
e. Overloading,
f. Seatbelt/Child restraint Use Violations,
g. Passenger’s Manifest Violation,
h. Operation of mechanical deficient and rickety vehicles,
i. Latching and Twist-Locks Violation,
j. Illegal use of the Spy Number Plates.
To achieve this, over 743 patrol vehicles, 184 administrative vehicles, 92 ambulances, 23 tow trucks and 144 motorbikes are being deployed as part of the patrol logistics.
Furthermore, reflective jackets , traffic cones, tyre pressure gauges, a number of extricating machines and digital breathalyzers are part of the tools set aside for the special operations.
Added to the above is, a total of 23 Help Areas mobilised to ensure prompt removal of obstructions, and rescue operations during the period. This, he said, is in addition to the 15 traffic control camps which would be dedicated solely to identifying traffic gridlock areas to be manned by our personnel on 24/7 basis.
For effective monitoring and prompt response, the Corps has put in place a Situation Room at the National Headquarters to monitor the activities across the country, collate and process information for dissemination to relevant commands and stakeholders as the case may be.
This is in addition to 28 Road Traffic Crash Clinics and 53 Zebra points located along the major routes. This would be covered by 92 ambulances to be fully utilized for prompt response to crashes and rescue of injured victims to hospitals for more professional attention.
He also directed the Commanding Officers to liaise with other strategic stakeholders within their operational areas to secure the needed moral and logistics as well as security support. Dauda Biu identified some of the stakeholders as Military formations (enroute or resident); the Nigeria Police (enroute or resident); DSS (enroute or resident); the Nigeria Immigration Service; the NSCDC (enroute or resident).
Others are Federal Ministry of Works and Housing; National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA); State Traffic Management Agencies; State owned NGO’s ambulance Services providers; National Network on Emergency Rescue Services (NNES);
Federal Road Maintenance Agencies and
Federal Fire Service.
On the overall preparedness of the Corps for the special operations, the Corps Marshal has expressed optimism that Nigerians would as usual, cooperate with members of the Corps and other security agencies as well as volunteers who would come out to assist the Corps in traffic management.
Expectedly, with the massive deployment of personnel and logistics and the envisaged public support, the Corps Marshal is confident that the celebration would be a huge success.
While reassuring the motoring public of FRSC’s renewed vigour towards entrenching sanity on the roads, the Corps Marshal also wishes all Nigerians safe and peaceful Easter celebrations.
