ABUJA - The Federal Government yesterday directed the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) to henceforth, enforce traffic laws in the country, irrespective of the social status of the offender.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, gave the directive at the commissioning of new FRSC patrol vehicles in Abuja.
“It is worrisome that we find many law enforcement agents on our highways, yet, we see people who claim to be highly placed flouting traffic rules, blowing sirens indiscriminately and beating traffic lights,”
“From now the government has resolved that there will be no more impunity on our highways and anyone found breaking the laws must be brought to book by your commission.
“Mr. President will not break the laws, the Vice- President will not, the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives will not.
“No Nigerian, no matter how highly placed should be allowed to go scot-free if found flouting the laws,” Ahmed said.
The SGF also advised the FRSC to be more serious in the arrest of under-aged drivers, particularly “the children of the so-called big men”.
He assured that the 2009 budget would place more emphasis on the improvement of the condition of roads nationwide.
Sen. Smart Adeyemi, who represented the Senate at the event, said that the increasing numbers of vehicles on the highways was partly responsible for the high number of accidents on the nation’s roads.
Adeyemi, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Federal Character and Intergovernmental Affairs, called on the executive arm of government to put the machinery in place to review the rail transport system.
“If our rail system is in order, road accidents will be reduced to the barest minimum. We have the fund to do this, what is lacking is the political will.
“Keeping $60 billion in foreign reserves when our infrastructure are down is unacceptable. We cannot afford to keep such money while our people are dying daily on our roads,” he said.
A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Leo Ogor, said that the operational vehicles approved by the Federal Government for the FRSC should be seen as a challenge for the commission to work harder.
FRSC Corps Marshal, Mr. Osita Chidoka, said that it was the first time the commission would witness the largest injection of operational vehicles into its activities.
“What we have here are 180 patrol vehicles, 200 motor bikes, administrative vehicles, staff buses and tow trucks.
“The injection of these vehicles into FRSC operational activities nationwide will in no small measure bring enhanced productivity, leading to drastic reduction in road accidents,” he said.
The new National Drivers Training Manual was also presented to the public.
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