By Nsan Ndoma-Neji, Calabar
The Chairman, National Conference of Directors and Chief Road Traffic Officers of the Federation, Engr. Sir Paul Bepeh, in company of Anambra State Commissioner for Transportation, Sir Afam Mbanefo, at the weekend inducted special road traffic mayors to check the incidence of road crashes that occur in the nation’s highways.
At the induction ceremony, which took place in Akwa, the capital city of Anambra State, the two officials of Cross River Anambra states governments stressed that efficient and effective collaboration between the Vehicle Inspection Offices, VIOs, across the 36 states of the federation, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, and the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, will ensure better safety on Nigerian roads.
Speaking also in company of Senior Special Assistant, SSA, to the Anambra State governor on VIO, Mr Okoye and his counterparts from the 36 states of the federation, Bepeh stressed that the induction of special traffic mayors is to increase stakeholders’ participation in road safety and traffic management in states and the nation at large.
At the induction ceremony of special road traffic mayors of Anambra State, which took place at the VIO Inspection Centre, Awka, Bepeh stated that the induction of Special Road Traffic Mayors across states of the federation will enable the mayors act as adjunct officers, help in traffic management and control, as well as participate in policy making and influencers of road safety, ensure vehicle worthiness management wherever they find themselves.
The Chairman, NCDCRTOF urged the inducted mayors to see themselves as adjunct officers charged with the responsibility of managing the traffic situation in their states, ensure that vehicles plying the roads in states of thier operations were not ricky but vehicles that are road worthy.
Bepeh said, “To me I think one of your major pre-occupation is to ensure that the number of road crashes are drastically reduced. By so doing, lives of motorists and commuters can be saved.
“What we are saying is that statistics on ground show that many lives are lost due to the fact that vehicles which they used to ply the roads cannot stand integrity test.
“As an organization charged with the responsibility of ensuring that lives of our citizens are not wasted, we cannot continue to fold out arms and watched our dear citizens die in the hands of reckless motorists.
“Our duty is to compliment the services of our sister organizations like the FRSC, and not to witch hunt motorists who conduct themselves well while on steering.
“We must do our very best to ensure that those using the roads conduct themselves well to avoid road crashes.
“As we leave here, we must look for avenue to sensitize and educate our road users on the need to stay off acohol while on steering.”
In his separate remarks the Anambra State Commissioner for Transportation, who was also one of the inductees, Sir Mbanefo, urged the inductees to see the responsibility given to them as a service to humanity, which in a way would reduce the incidence of road accidents on our roads.
He stressed that the present administration facilitated a seemless better relationship with the FRSC, with the support of her Corps Marshall, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, which engendered a better partnership between the VIO and the FRSC in the state.
He went further to say that remarkable reforms have been initiated in the transport sector that must be retained.
On his part, the Commissioner for Trade and Commerce, Chief Uchenna Okafor, while expressing joy for being found worthy to be inducted into the mayoral, asked for more funding for the Vehicle Inspection Office, as it is a huge revenue generation source for the state government.
Those inducted include: Chief Okafor, the Managing Director, Anambra State Road and Traffic Management Agency, ARTMA, Mr Pat Obiefuna and the Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Vehicle Inspection Office, Mr Ralph Okoye, while the Mr Mark Achuam was inducted as the Squadron Commander, Special Road Traffic Mayors’ Command, Anambra State Command.
