The Governor of Osun State, Abdulrauf Aregbesola, has expressed the commitment of the State Government to partnering with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in the task of creating safer road environment, stressing that for the campaign against road carnage to succeed in the country, there was the need for those that violate road safety standards to be appropriately punished.

Speaking while receiving the Corps Marshal of the FRSC, Boboye Oyeyemi, at the Government House Osogbo, the Deputy Governor, Mrs Grace Titilayo Tomore, who stood in for the Governor, commended the leadership of the FRSC for the commitment it has shown towards creating safer road environment in the country, stating that the state government is in full support of the moves being made to restore sanity on the roads.

According to her, collaboration between the FRSC and Osun State Government on issues of road safety is germane because protection of lives and property of the people of the state was the central campaign promise made by Governor Aregbesola during his electioneering campaigns, adding that since his assumption of office, he has not reneged on that.

“That was what informed the massive investment the state government has continued to make in road construction, security and ambulance services,” she stated.

“The state government under the administration of Governor Aregbesola has remained committed to issues of road safety, security and social development. Everyone knows that the Governor’s convoy adheres strictly to road traffic lights whenever he is moving around in the town.

“He has also directed members of his executive council to do the same. I assure you that FRSC will find a veritable partner in Osun state government in the campaign for the safety of lives and property on the roads,” she further stated.

Speaking on the frequent cases of tanker crashes in the country, Mrs Tomore expressed concern at the development, calling on the FRSC to take adequate measures against those that violate safety standards. She advocated due process in the issuance of driver’s licences and registration of the drivers, stressing that do so could make their identification easy.

The Deputy Governor further pointed out that even though no tanker crash has occurred in the state, the government has taken adequate measures to ensure that all vehicles operating in the state met the required safety standards. While commending the FRSC for its contributions to the socio-economic development of the state, she stated that the commitment being shown by the personnel of the FRSC to effective traffic management, safety of lives and property and general development of the state is quite impressive.

Mrs Tomore assured the Corps Marshal that the State Government will continue to explore areas of mutual benefits between it and the FRSC, vowing to sustain actions that could make the state crash-free.

Corps Marshal Oyeyemi, in his remarks, thanked the Osun State Government for its sustained support to the FRSC and enumerated areas where it has supported the Corps in the past, disclosing that it was the first in the country to donate a heavy duty tow truck to the FRSC, which assisted greatly in creating obstruction-free road.

Oyeyemi commended Governor Aregbesola for putting in place various measures targeted at achieving safer road environment in the state, pointing out that the enactment of the law on the operations of tanker operations in the state is a commendable initiative, saying that if other states could embrace the same consciousness, the campaign against road carnage would be a huge success.

The Corps Marshal, therefore, called on other state government to adopt the same measure in the campaigns to keep the nation’s roads safer. While giving a situation report on the last tanker crashes in the country, Oyeyemi stated that he has been in touch with the leadership of the tanker drivers’ union and other transport unions before the last national summit on haulage operations was organised in Abuja.

He further stated that the report of the summit with the plan of action drawn up by the stakeholders has been sent to all the state governors across the country, stressing the need for training and retraining of the tanker drivers as part of the major resolutions of the summit.

“Installation of speed limiters in tankers would be one of the conditions to allow any driver load the petroleum products as from 1st September, 2015, while the use of retro-reflective tapes on the tankers would be aggressively enforced to ensure proper illumination of the vehicles.

“The need for the state governments to build the capacity of the Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO) for them to carry out their functions more diligently was also emphasised. We are working with PTD-NUPENG to check consumption of alcohol at the parks while we are working on the possibility of government establishing rest areas across the country,” he stated.

The Corps Marshal further disclosed that part of the measures being taken by the FRSC towards sanitising the operations of tankers and trailers in the country is the decision to prosecute those responsible for causing the Onitsha and Lagos tanker crashes, stressing that with all the measures being put in place by the FRSC in partnership with the relevant stakeholders towards ensuring safety on the nation’s highways, sanity would soon be restored.

The Corps Marshal was accompanied on the visit by some principal officers of the FRSC, including the Zonal Commanding Officer, Zone 11, Osogbo, Assistant Corps Marshal Luka Kinya.

•Photo shows Osun Deputy Governor, Mrs Grace Titilayo Tomore, presenting a gift to Corps Marshal Boboye Oyeyemi during the visit.

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