Undeterred by the loss of about 106,256 lives involved in road traffic crashes in the country from January 2019 to December 2021, the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, is poised for improvement in traffic management and safety administration in order to make the nation’s highways safer.
This direction the FRSC said it is taking its mandate in the coming year, to ensure safety of lives on roads across the country, even as the agency is assuring its staff to remain focused on improved service delivery in justifying the national confidence reposed in the Corps.
The Corps Marshal, Dr. Boboye Olayemi Oyeyemi in a New Year message, expressed gratitude to God for the successes recorded by the Corps as the year 2021 comes to an end.
The FRSC Spokesperson, Assistant Corps Marshal Bisi Kazeem reiterated in a statement that the challenges of 2021 were multifaceted with great risks in which some personnel lost their lives on patrol duties in effort trying to save others, however, the FRSC boss enjoined all to remain undeterred in carrying out their statutory obligation of making the road safer for all.
The Corps Marshal expressed satisfaction with the sacrifices made by the staff in saving several lives that could have been perished to road crashes through the vigilance and commitment they have shown, enjoining them to remain more vigilant in the new year.
In his statement, he further appreciated the contributions of government at all levels including corporate organisations, NGOs as well strategic stakeholders and individuals for the successes recorded by the FRSC in the outgoing year.
Oyeyemi also admonished staff not to rest on their oars, saying 2022 will come with its own peculiar challenges which they must overcome in the collective determination to create a safer road environment that could be conducive for social and economic activities.
In his words,“You must remain determined to be victorious in all facets of road traffic management and adhere strictly to the processes and procedures enunciated by the Corps to make the organisation outstanding in its delivery of road safety to Nigerians.”
Bisi further disclosed that the FRSC intends to focus on three main goals of crash and fatality reduction, stakeholders partnership and improved data management in 2022 in line with the ongoing global campaign against the menace of road traffic crashes which the United Nations General Assembly is championing.
“For the Corps to achieve these strategic goals, all Nigerians must join hands in projecting Nigeria as a nation that’s road safety friendly and has values for human lives,” he further stated.
On the ongoing campaign against the spread of COVID-19 and the new variant Omicron, the Corps Marshal assured the nation that as the lead agency for road traffic management and safety administration in the country, the FRSC will remain at the vanguard of the campaign, conscious of its interactions with members of the public who travel from one place to the other through road transportation system. He therefore urges every personnel of the Corps to always observe all the health protocols and ensure that travellers observe same to reduce incidences of infection through person to person transmission while traveling.
Dr. Oyeyemi further solicited the cooperation of members of the public particularly the road travellers to continue to observe traffic rules and regulations in their return journeys and promptly report cases of road traffic crashes and other emergencies to the Corps for sustained safety in the new year.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the FRSC Call Center will remain open 24/7 through which emergency callers can reach the Corps using either the toll free line: 122 or the studios of the National Traffic Radio on 08056294021 or 08056295022 for prompt response,” Bisi stated.
