BY MARIA EWA……………. CALABAR
The Federal Road Safety Corps, Cross River Sector Command has organized its third Quarter Sectorial Workshop with the theme “Driving RS 6.2 Excellence through Productivity Enhancement” in Calabar, the State’s capital.
The State Sector Commander of the Corps, Innocent Etuk said the workshop was organized to specifically retrain road officers on work ethics and productivity to minimize road crashes to its barest minimum.
According to him, the initiative aims to enhance the capacity of FRSC’s intelligence gathering and analysis as part of ongoing efforts to improve service delivery.
“We are committed to improving road safety in the State all year round. This programme is a step in the right direction and we are providing necessary measures, structures and policies to ensure that the objectives of the initiative is achieved,” the Sector Commander opined.
In a keynote address, the Cross River State Commissioner for Transport, Pastor Ekpeyong Cobham charged the officers to go beyond gratification, instill discipline and be polite in their manner of approach to commuters.
“If you are approaching a driver and you are polite in your manner of approach, that doesn’t mean you are weak, that doesn’t mean you are not going to carry out your job but sometimes you find yourselves bickering like the area boys,” he stressed.
In a goodwill message, the State Commissioner of Police, Rasheed Afegbua, represented by the State Traffic Officer, Mrs. Uduak Boniface, appealed to the officers to always ensure that due process was followed before issuing out drivers licences which he believed could serve as a measure to curtail incessant road crashes witnessed across the country.
“One of your major duties is to prevent or reduce the rate of accidents on the roads. Please I want to appeal that you should carry out duty as stipulated in the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Act and related legislation.
For instance, it is essential to conduct a driving test before license issuance to verify a driver’s knowledge of traffic laws, their ability to operate a vehicle competently, and their capacity to drive safely putting other road users into consideration,” he said.
The Commissioner of Police added that the such step would promote public safety on the roads and ensure that individuals possess the fundamental skills and knowledge required for safe driving before they are legally allowed to operate a motor vehicle.
Also, the State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Doctor Charles Brown commended the Corps for rebranding drivers’ licenses through digitalization and ensuring that vehicles in the State are road worthy.
The Cross River State Director, Road Traffic Services, Mr. Ofem Okoi represented by the Head of Admin in the Service, Mr. Essiesien Ita called on relevant partners to inculcate the habit of organizing more workshops for commuters and safety workers as a way of ensuring that safety measures are sustained on our roads.
