“We’re ready to make this Yuletide season accident free” …FRSC commander, Nseobong Akpabio

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Charles Akpabio

 

 

Mr. Nseobong Charles Akpabio ( Mon) is the zonal commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission, Lagos and Ogun State Commands (RS2). The former Lagos State sector commander who possesses wide experience in road safety management, in this interview with ADEKOLA BAMGBALA, speaks on the challenges and successes of safeguarding lives on Nigerian roads, and more. Excerpt…   

 

What are the measures being put in place to minimize road accidents along Lagos and Ogun State axis?

Yes, we have several measures put in place already and we have also embarked on safety campaigns and technics in order to prevent accidents on our roads. We have already met with Governor Akinwumi Ambode of Lagos State and Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State to deliberate over the increasing accidents and inferno on Lagos and Ogun State roads and look at areas where we can work together to prevent tragedies on the roads. Equally, we met the two governors on the issue of tankers along this road with a view to let the tanker drivers know that we would not condone any act of indiscipline from any of them. You can’t drink and drive which is the regular cause of crashes on our roads. We are training and we would continue the training with tanker and trailer drivers unabated because it’s very essential.

 

Besides training, what strategy there is to check bribery and other likely disgraceful acts from officer in FRSC because this is one of the factors responsible for crisis most of the times?

My analysis is if you plant a seed in a bad soil it may not germinate. So, you need to be sure where you plant the seed for the fruit to grow. From 1988 when the corps was established, I am happy to be one of the few young officers then. The pioneer heads of FRSC, Professor Wole Soyinka, Dr. Olu Agunloye and other leaders of the corps made it known to us that bribe money is blood money. They made us realize that the roads we use on daily basis do not forgive and nobody has immunity against road traffic crashes.  Now, since bribe money is blood money it means we should not allow our homes to be soiled in blood. If anyone collects bribe from motorists and allow the motorists to go and thereafter there is an accident which may lead to the death of innocent occupiers or road users, the blood of those people will be on any officer who collected the bribe. So, with that mindset, we say, don’t touch bribe money, don’t collect money, don’t keep money on you, don’t do this and don’t do that.

 

In other words, you are standing for the integrity of your men?

Well, I stand to be corrected; FRSC is the very first government agency that has internalized anti-corruption mechanism even before government came up with anti-corruption agencies. That was as far back as 1988. And our men are living above board. I was opportune to be involved in surveillance monitoring for our personnel on the roads to see what they are doing and to recommend for awards those who are doing well and also to advise on improvements and to sanction those that are not doing well. Those checks and balances are internal mechanism that every command, the commanding officers must uphold at all times. You will find our personnel wearing white T- shirt under uniforms; that white T-shirt belongs to the wearer but the outer T-shirt belong to the FRSC. So, if you are arrested for misconduct or malpractices which is against the corps code, the outer T-shirt will be removed from your body at the same spot where you committed the crime and within a space of two weeks, you are asked to leave service if you are found culpable

 

Are there new rules and penalties for erring tankers and trailer drivers who violate the timing restriction on Lagos roads?

There are and between the stipulated hours of 9pm to 6 am, anyone caught flouting the law will be made to face the law.

 

What will you tell drivers and road users as an advice?

But for the establishment of FRSC in 1988, this country would have remained perpetually one of the worst countries in terms of road traffic crashes. Nigeria recorded over nine thousand road crashes as at December 1988 with close to nineteen thousand deaths, which is the population of a town. But since FRSC was established, there has been a drastic change and reduction in road crashes and deaths. Therefore, my advice is that over speed kills, motorists should not drink alcohol and drive and they should obey all traffic laws in order to make our country free of road crashes regularly.

 

What are your command’s preparations for this Yuletide period?

As a matter of fact, we are doing a lot of campaigns for this ember months and we are saying that, don’t drink and drive because it’s the major cause of roads accident crashes and unnecessary deaths during this period. We have our standby personnel for every distress call and in case of crashes they will be there immediately. Our emergency unit is in readiness to deal with any emergency situation; and please note that we work twenty four hours now till end of the yuletide period and even after.