A non-governmental organisation, NGO, the Accident Prevention and Rescue Initiatives, APRI has charged the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRC to invest more resources aimed at accident prevention than in evacuation of victims from scenes of calamity.
Executive Director of APRI, Prince Fidelix Nnaji said this has become necessary in view of the rampant accidents, especially during the festive period on various roads across the country.
Nnaji, in a statement issued over the weekend in Abuja, explained that “when tax payers money are judiciously utilised for the benefit of all Nigerians such would be visibly seen when measures geared toward accident prevention are proactive as it will also involve new techniques and innovations that could make citizenry proud instead of the conventional use of stereotype mentality which has resulted in ‘corps evacuation’ than safety of lives and property”.
On the preparedness of his organisation as well as of other safety agencies in the country for sensitization campaign to drivers, commuters and the general public, he asked rhetorically, “how prepared are the government and the lead safety agency in all the states and local government to sensitize road users on these all important matter?
“What is government at all levels along with the lead road safety agency doing to ensure accident-free season in the country?
Nnaji also called on the Federal Road Maintenance Agency, FERMA to live above board in order to ensure that all portholes along major roads in the country are fixed, saying this may have negative effect on motorists moving from one parts of the country to another.
While applauding the machinery put in place for the safety of motorists and commuters who will travel from one place to another by the Directorate of Traffic Services, DTS also known as the Vehicles Inspection Officers, VIO, he said “we are very much ready for sensitization campaign throughout these months, we have been doing it and we are still on it even as we speak now”.
The APRI boss, while referring to FRSC asked rhetorically, “We can’t do the same thing every time, every year to get different results, nothing is new, we expect new machines, more ambulances, more patrol vans, more road signals as well as more staff who should help to enforce road safety standard at all levels, we want to see reduction in percentage of dead in this country, these we can do when we improve our standard and the way of doing things”.
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