My 2015 agenda

2014 was equally challenging for the Federal Road Safety Corps. Despite the challenges of 2014, I must confess that 2014 left sweet memories that I will never forget. It was in 2014 that I got my promotion as an Assistant Corps Marshal. It was the same period my former boss, Osita Chidoka got appointed as […]

2014 was equally challenging for the Federal Road Safety Corps. Despite the challenges of 2014, I must confess that 2014 left sweet memories that I will never forget. It was in 2014 that I got my promotion as an Assistant Corps Marshal. It was the same period my former boss, Osita Chidoka got appointed as Minster of Aviation, thus opening the window for the appointment of the first indigenous Corps Marshal of the Corps, 26 years after its establishment. Today, Engineer Boboye Oyeyemi sits atop as Corps  Marshal, thanks to President Goodluck Jonathan who said the Corps deserves to have its leadership from within. I can go on reeling out so many memories that will not be forgotten in a hurry. As we are now in 2015, I am hopeful that our ruggedness will sway above whatever challenges. That is why I wish to open up this column with My agenda.
 Before you crucify me, this is not about resolutions but  issues and strategic interventions that I believe must form our focus if we  check the spate of crashes in the country in line with the 2015 strategic goal of the Corps which seeks to cut down crashes by 20 per cent and fatalities by 30 per cent.  While we await a review of 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 last December which claimed the lives of our loved one. These crashes were not caused by the roads as we must all commend the Federal Government whose promise to fix our roads have become reality. As Zonal Commanding Officer in charge of the Federal Capital Territory  and Niger States, manning the Kaduna-Abuja-Lokoja was a piece of cake because of the newly constructed road network which rested the pressure off the daily gridlock that has always been the challenge. I know that similar feats were achieved by the government along other critical corridors and I believe we all must appreciate this effort. Unfortunately, rather than improve our driving, we have remained stuck to our old habits. Critical to the safety of lives in 2015 is the January 2015 seat belt enforcement on passengers at the rear. You will recall that seat belt enforcement has focused mostly on the front seat passengers and has indeed been instrumental in some of the feats recorded in our desire to reduce crashes. Now that we are set to enforce seat belt on all occupants of vehicles, I will spend time on the value of seat belt.
Did you read my piece on flying vehicles on the road and the ongoing flying tickets initiated by the Corps as a strategy to checkmate the increasing spate of crashes caused by excessive speeding? Well if you did not, please kindly do and note the deadline set by the Corps on the enforcement on speed limiters with effect from June 2015 beginning first with commercial vehicles which account for over 30 percent of crashes annually. As the Corps prepares for the next phase of stakeholders awareness in the early part of 2015, I will keep you abreast with developments including every possible development in line with the deadline on enforcement. While we await these details, I  hope you know that the Standard Organization of Nigeria,(SON) approved the standard for the speed limiting device enforcement.
Although executive road crashes were a bit minimal towards the tail end of 2014, I will xray efforts by the Corps to extend the convoy training to other executives proceeding the 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  in 2015. That report revealed that out of 700 convoy drivers so far trained  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 that more convoy drivers will benefit from this. Their proficiency will be bolstered by the novel convoy driver’s license which the Corps has introduced as part of measure to improve proficiency, 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 through this challenge open and got the Corps worried over various and traffic crashes involving children. The traffic regulations make it mandatory for transporting children especially  U-12 years in a properly restrained rear seat. It warns that air bags can injure or kill young children travelling in front seat. However, it is ironic that most parents are the ones who claim to have been born, bred and buttered in the white man country deliberately refuse to restrain children U-12  on the grounds that it is not being enforced. It is common to see such children lapped, sometimes standing in the front seat during festive seasons and even during school runs. Credit must be given to some  parents who waste no time in pleading that we hasten all legislative backings to enforce this law. As a parent and 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 5,22-23 where it talks about the fruits of the spirit such as love, peace, for bearance, 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 strengthening of legislative provisions for safeguarding children. Since Agenda setting is not only a media responsibility but also  government’s, 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 honor the children we lost last December. Transporters such as the ABC Transport and others who hold safety high, should equally demonstrate some moral obligations by providing restraint in their vehicles for the protection of children especially for the less privileged. Wives of state governors and politicians should make the donation of free car seats a priority this year. It is exciting that the Nigerian Society of Engineers are partnering with the Corps over improved advocacy in this direction. We hope that others will follow suit.