By Our Reporter, Lafia
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has called for concerted efforts to tackle road crashes through a robust road safety culture that prioritizes the safety of all road users.
Mallam Shehu Mohammed, the Corps Marshal, FRSC stated this at a Town Hall ” on promoting Road Safety Culture Through Stakeholders’ Engagement” held in Lafia, the Nasarawa state Capital, Wednesday.
The Corps Marshal, represented by his Principal Staff Officer, Assistant Corps Marshal, Nkwonta-Chidiebere Benjamin said road safety was a matter of life and death, hence a collective duty to ensure that the roads are safe for every user.
Mohammed called on the Nasarawa State government to lead by example by developing, and implementing comprehensive road safety policies, and investing in road infrastructure such as pedestrian bridges, traffic lights, and road signs.
He decried the attitude of motorists who are bent on engaging in excessive loading; where human beings, goods combined with a wheelbarrow loaded together, making the passengers vulnerable to a higher degree of death and injury in the event of crash.
“Promoting a road safety culture through Stakeholders’ engagement is a shared responsibility, it requires a concerted effort from all segments of society…
“FRSC is committed to leading this initiative, but our success depends on the active participation of all stakeholders, together we can build a culture of safety that will save lives,” he said.
The Commanding Officer, Zone 4, Meshach Jatau, comprising Plateau, Nasarawa, and Benue states described the town hall engagement as apt, noting that it would go a long way in reducing road crashes.
Jatau said that between January and May 2024, the zone recorded 497 crashes out of which 134 people died.
“In Nasarawa State between January and May 2024, 232 crashes were recorded out of which 52 people died, so, the figure is not a mere statistics,” he noted.
Also speaking, Nasarawa State Deputy Governor, Dr Emmanuel Akabe represented by Commissioner for Special Duties on Humanitarian, Social Services and Non-Governmental Organisations, commended the Nasarawa State Sector Command for organising the town hall on road safety.
Akabe said the state government was ready to lead the awareness campaign on road sanity to motor parks, and installing road signs among other things to minimise road crashes and save lives.
Earlier speaking, Lucie-Samuel Mhii, FRSC Sector Commander, Nasarawa State, said the Command was worried by flagrant disobedient to traffic rules by motorists like overloading and driving without a permit among other things, informed the town hall on need for road safety culture.
“After my assumption to office in Nasarawa, I discovered certain traffic situation that gives me a sleepless night; that’s overloading with goods, wheelbarrow, and animals, of course, passengers sit on the roof of vehicles, posing high risk in the event of road crash.