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18 States Yet To Establish Traffic Management Agencies — FRSC
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has urged state governments that have yet to establish their traffic management agencies to do so in line with the Nigeria Road Safety Strategy (NRSS).
Its Corps Marshal, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, made the call at a meeting with heads of some state traffic management agencies and zonal commanders of the FRSC in Abuja last Wednesday.
Addressing newsmen on the sidelines of the meeting, Oyeyemi said state traffic management agencies were critical to the attainment of the NRSS objectives.
Implementation of the NRSS, which targets a 35-per-cent reduction in road traffic accidents in the country by 2018, is hinged on synergy between the federal and state governments.
Besides, Oyeyemi said statistics had shown that states with traffic management agencies had better road safety records than those without.
“Currently, we have 18 state traffic management agencies, and from our data, we have seen that the rate of crashes is trending down in states that already have.
“This shows that traffic is being effectively managed in those states.
“But in states that have yet to establish their agencies, the rate is going up.
“This underscores the need for us to encourage state governments that have yet to respond to do so in line with our road safety strategy document,” he said.
He listed the compliant states as Kaduna, Kano, Lagos, Ogun, Delta, Anambra, Cross River, Kwara, Ekiti, Abia, Imo, Sokoto, Zamfara, Osun, Ondo, Oyo, Rivers and Niger.
Data released at the meeting showed that in 2014, a total of 6,102 road accidents were recorded in states without traffic agencies compared to 4,278 in states operating the system.
In the same year, 3,049 persons died in road accidents in the former set of states, while 2,947 died in the latter.
Oyeyemi added, “Once you have the state traffic management agencies, the FRSC will pull out from state roads and focus on federal roads, then regulate what the states are doing which is the ultimate.”
The meeting was a followup on a two-day capacity building workshop by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) for the traffic managers in Abuja between Tuesday and Wednesday.
It focused on the harmonisation of federal and state road safety operations in the areas of data collection and reporting, staff training, road signages, computerised vehicle testing, among others.
Some of the state representatives commended the FRSC for its relentless efforts in reducing road carnage in the country and promised to implement the resolutions of the meeting in their states.
The Director General of the Delta State Traffic Management Authority, Mr Stephen Dieseruvwie, said the initiative would engender harmony in the policies and operations of FRSC and state traffic agencies.
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on Nigerians to reject silence in the face of extrajudicial killings and other abuses of human rights.
Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.
He made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.
The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.
Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.
Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.
The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.
He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that there was no fire at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, contrary to its earlier advisory.
Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.
There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.
Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.
However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.
The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.
FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.