My 2014 Agenda

It demonstrated our strengths and revealed our weaknesses too. Despite these, 2013 was in the words of my boss, Osita Chidoka, a defining year for the Federal Road Safety Corps even in the face of what I could describe as hiccups that challenged the ruggedness of the Corps in delivering on its statutory mandate. While […]

It demonstrated our strengths and revealed our weaknesses too. Despite these, 2013 was in the words of my boss, Osita Chidoka, a defining year for the Federal Road Safety Corps even in the face of what I could describe as hiccups that challenged the ruggedness of the Corps in delivering on its statutory mandate. While we await a review of 2013 and the corporate road map for 2014, I would like to do a run down on some of the areas that will form the focus of this column although, not in any order of priority.
Let me start with the series of road traffic crashes involving State Governors and other executives with the last for the year being that involving the convoy of Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State. I don’t intend to x-ray the details of the crash but to stress that it came after the tragic crash involving the Kogi State Governor which resulted in the death of one of our most respected Professor, Festus Iyayi. These were not the only ones. There were others preceding the report Corps report on increasing crashes involving executives and the need for a continuation of the convoy drivers training initiated by the Corps to redress this trend.2013 . That report revealed that out of the 700 convoy drivers trained thus far by the Corps, none has been involved in any crash thus justifying the Federal Executive Council nod for a continuation and extension of the training programme. With the level of concern shown by the Federal Executive Council and State Governors, I am optimistic than more convoy drivers will benefit from this. Their proficiency will be bolstered by the novel convoy drivers’ licence which the Corps has introduced as part of measures to improve proficiency and efficiency, thus making convoy drivers the professionals they should be. While we await the true benefits of this novelty, I do hope that government officials will shun the temptation of employing quacks as drivers.
Child safety has always been a sore area for the Corps. Last year threw this challenge open and got the Corps worried when between the 19-28december,20 children were killed and 75 others injured in various road traffic crashes involving 239 children with 144 of them rescued alive. The traffic regulations makes it mandatory for transporting children especially children under 12years in a properly restrained rear seats. It warns that air bags can injure or kill young children travelling in front seats. However, it is ironic that most parents even the ones who claim to have been born, bred and buttered in the white man’s country deliberately refuse to restrain children under 12years on the grounds that it is not being enforced. It is common to see such children lapped, sometimes standing in the front seats during festive seasons and even during school runs. Credit must be given to some disturbed parents who waste no time in pleading that we hasten all legislative backings to enforce this law. For me as a parent and a safety officer, the protection of my children is not guided by the provisions or absence of mandatory laws. I am always guided by the scriptural provisions especially Galatian 5;22-23where it talks about the fruits of the spirit such as love,peace,forbearance,kindness,goodness,faithfulness.gentleness and self-control, stating that, ’against such things, there is no law. What this means to me is that I don’t need a law to mandate me to buy a car restraint for the protection of my child especially when all religion demands such and common-sense too. With the level of impunity displayed by parents during the end of the year, I look forward to improved advocacy in this direction and a strengthening of legislative provisions safeguarding children. Since Agenda setting is not only a media responsibility but also that of government, I would really love to see the lawmakers not only strengthen all regulations in this direction but to become role models through ensuring that every lawmaker supported by top government functionaries openly display their love for the Nigerian child by purchasing car seats for their children in an open event that could hold at the Eagle Square and across the various States simultaneously. It will be one sure way to honour the children we lost last December. Transporters such as ABC Transport and others who hold safety high, should equally demonstrate some moral obligations by providing restraints in their vehicles for the protection of children especially for the less priviledged. Wives of State Governors and Politicians should make the donation of free car seats a priority this year.
2014 is the phasing out year set by the Joint Tax Board for the old drivers licence and number plate. As June creeps in, most motorists will be relieved to walk into any licensing office, get captured and collect their drivers licence with the speed of light. I know that this will be the delight of most observers. There is no denying the novelty of the new driver’s licence which has won accolades from the World Bank and the developed countries. As the Corps expands the centres, reduces time spent, looks up to improved connectivity, this might be our greatest area of attention in 2014.It is gladdening that the Joint Tax Board met before the close of the year to fine tune all the hiccups noticeable, thus brightening the hopes of better licencing this year. This improvement will jerk up the Corps vision of building a reliable data base for planning and better enforcement.
While we ponder on these challenges, I can’t wait for the whistle to be blown on the yet to be enforced speed liming device commencing with commercial vehicles. For the last one year, excessive speeding has become the Corps albatross-one which we must conquer in order to achieve our vision of zero deaths. It is exciting that stakeholders are already showing concern and support for the Corps initiatives in this direction. I just hope that private car owners will reflect on the inherent risk in excessive speeding and do a detour. Ditto for corporate organisations.
My list for 2014 is inexhaustible. There is the monster called trucks and trailers whose excesses the Corps is curbing through the road transport safety standardization scheme. There are also the driving schools certified to train a new set of decent drivers. And the new entrant-the bicycle transportation. There are more. Above all of these, another crucial challenge is the countdown to 2015.For the records, the Accra Declaration of 2007 set 2015 as the date to cut down road traffic fatalities by 50percent within the West African sub- region. I know that some bold initiatives have been taken especially in Nigeria, Ghana, among others. The most recent is the ongoing technical support by the Corps to the Sierra Leonean government to set up a lead agency similar to the Federal Road Safety Corps. Last year, the West African Road Safety Organisation (WARSO) which has the Corps Marshal as its President endorsed the enforcement of passenger manifest within the region to address incidences of unidentified road traffic crashes. These moves are indeed commendable but there is the greatest need to fast-track every initiatives, programmes aimed at achieving the Accra Declaration. We will look in details at some of these initiatives as we set this agenda.