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From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
Ahead of the yuletide season, the management of Benue Links Limited has commenced a three-day training programme for its drivers on defensive driving, road safety, vehicle maintenance, security consciousness and emotional control to improve passenger safety and service delivery.
The training, organised in Makurdi, is designed to equip the company’s drivers with current driving techniques, technical knowledge and professional skills needed to minimise road accidents, protect passengers and strengthen the company’s operations, particularly ahead of the yuletide travel rush.
The Head of Service of Benue State, Dr Eunice Ihu, who declared the workshop open, described the initiative as timely, given the increase in human movement during November and December.
She noted that Benue Links, the Benue State-owned company, is one of the major transport companies patronised by travellers across the country, and urged the management to keep up the good work.
Ihu commended the General Manager, Alexander Fanafa, and his management team for investing in staff development, operational efficiency and passenger safety.
She told the drivers that passengers entrusted their lives to them whenever they boarded the company’s vehicles, and urged them to demonstrate discipline, patience and sound judgment, respect passengers, obey traffic regulations and prioritise safety.
Ihu, who described the drivers as ambassadors of both the company and Benue State, also urged the management to sustain the training programme, adding that continuous capacity development was necessary for improved staff welfare and organisational performance.
Earlier, the General Manager of Benue Links, Mr Alexander Fanafa, said the state Governor, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia, upon assuming office, had set out to reposition Benue Links as a pacesetter in Nigeria’s transport business.
He stated that the company had recorded remarkable achievements, particularly in remodelling its operations.
He explained that the training was part of efforts to reposition the mindset of drivers and improve their psychological preparedness for the demanding responsibilities of transporting passengers safely to their various destinations.
Fanafa said Benue Links had more than 1,800 drivers but could not withdraw all of them from the roads simultaneously without disrupting its operations.
He said the three-day workshop would therefore be recorded, with the materials made available to drivers unable to attend in person, to ensure that they also benefited from the knowledge shared by the resource persons.
He urged participating agencies to use their presentations to expose areas requiring improvement in the company’s operations and help reposition it to deliver better transport services to Nigerians.
The General Manager appreciated the company’s partner agencies, namely the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the DSS, NAPTIP and the NDLEA, as well as the Ministry of Power, Renewable Energy and Transport, for their continued support towards improving the company’s operations.
Also, the Commissioner for Power, Renewable Energy and Transport, Mr Joseph Jir, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mrs Lilian Ode, said the state government remained committed to improving efficiency and protecting passengers’ lives.
He said driving required patience, discipline and the ability to make sound decisions in short periods, adding that the knowledge from the workshop would help drivers minimise accidents and improve passenger safety.
He urged the management to strengthen vehicle maintenance and monitoring systems to complement the drivers’ training.
The workshop features presentations by resource persons from the FRSC, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO), the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and a psychologist, who spoke on safe and defensive driving techniques, security consciousness on the road, vehicle control and technical management, the effects of drugs and alcohol on driving, drivers’ temperament control, and road signs, rules and regulations.
The Zonal Commander of the FRSC, ACM Joseph Udoabba, described the exercise as a worthwhile investment, observing that training and retraining were essential to organisational growth and improved performance.
He cautioned drivers against drinking while driving and reminded them that they were not the only road users, urging them to remain conscious of the safety of other motorists and pedestrians.
Udoabba further advised participants not to dismiss any of the lessons, stressing that driving practices and safety requirements continued to evolve and that nobody knew everything.
On her part, the NAPTIP Zonal Commander in Makurdi, Mrs Theresa Kuma, advised the drivers to apply the knowledge gained to improve professionalism, service delivery and passenger safety.
She also called on Benue Links to strengthen collaboration with the agency through information sharing as part of efforts to combat human trafficking.
