BREAKING NEWS, Security
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ADEBAYO Shittu, minister of communication technology, has expressed the readiness of the ministry to support the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, in its commitment to making the nation’s roads safe for users. The minister gave the assurances during his familiarisation visit to the FRSC national headquarters where he was received by Boboye Oyeyemi, corps marshal.
According to Bisi Kazeem, head, Media Relations and Strategy, FRSC, the minister said road safety is a collective responsibility as safety of all roaders should be of concern to all. He pledged that his Ministry would do all within its powers to ensure that necessary support is given to the FRSC in the efforts to move the Corps to greater heights in its campaigns for safer road environment. Shittu commended the innovativeness of the FRSC leadership and the commitment being shown by the personnel of the FRSC to ensure that sanity is restored on the nation’s highways through aggressive public enlightenment and diligent enforcement.
He recalled the active role he played as a member of the Oyo State House of Assembly when the Bill on the defunct Oyo Road Safety Corps was being debated, saying he remains committed to the values of safer road environment. To this end, he assured that his Ministry is available for further collaboration on issues of road safety. He particularly commended the Corps Marshal for the professionalism and competence he has shown in managing the FRSC, noting that Nigerians are proud and appreciative of his leadership of the Corps.
He urged the corps marshal not to rest on his oars as he moves to take the FRSC to greater heights. “In your commitment to taking the FRSC to greater heights, let me assure you that you will find in me a supporter and collaborator who will always be on your side,” he stated.
“Any new ideas you think you can bring to what you are already doing, please don’t hesitate to come out with them. We are prepared to give you the necessary support that could make them comes into fruition for the benefits of the nation and road users, because their safety should be of concern to all of us,” he added.
He called for collaboration between agencies of the government, noting that such partnership is capable of promoting understanding and cost effectiveness in the light of the current economic challenges facing the nation. To this end, he offered to train personnel of the FRSC on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for improved service delivery in the Corps’ technology infrastructure. He noted that with the sophistications which now characterise modern traffic management, it takes officers with wide knowledge of information technology to drive the advancement in modern road safety management. “We must find common grounds in all the assignments being handled by the various agencies of the government and share ideas to cut cost and move the nation forward,” he further stated.
On the issues of interference in the FRSC Emergency Call Number, 122, which is being subjected to calls from non-road safety related callers but on which the National Communications Commissions, NCC, has been working, the Minster promised to further intervene to ensure that such inferences stopped and the number remains fully dedicated only to emergency calls.
Earlier, Oyeyemi thanked the minister for the visit which he said has boosted the morale of the staff of the Corps. He pointed out that the Management has benefitted from the inputs made by the Minister and particularly commended the Minister for the support he has continued to render for the growth and development of the FRSC, stressing that he would remain committed to the ideals of safer road environment in the country.
Oyeyemi assured the minister of the readiness of the FRSC to support other agencies of the government that may wish to reciprocate what the FRSC has done in its Call Centre to scientifically manage traffic challenges of the country. He further stated that the FRSC remains open to collaboration with relevant stakeholders in the collective efforts to ensure that the roads remain safer for all.
The corps marshal called on the state governments to endeavour to set up their state traffic management agencies which he said the Corps would be willing to support in train at its Academy and Training School for complementary role of managing traffic in the state especially within the urban centres. This he said would afford the FRSC opportunity to move to the highways.
The minister who was accompanied on the visit by some senior officers of the ministry and was taken round the FRSC Information Technology Centre where he commended the FRSC for using technology to promote road safety management in the country.
— Nov 22, 2016 @ 20:40 GMT
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