The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Sector Commander, in Kwara, Mufutau Irekeola, has urged the personnel to transform themselves by working more effectively in order to be reckoned with.
The Sector Commander made the urge on Tuesday, in Ilorin, during the sensitisation programme for FRSC members of Staff, organised by the Corps Headquarters, Abuja.
“We have started with an in-house capacity building of officers, with the support of the senior officers who ensure discipline.
“When an Eagle grows old with a long beak and claws, he would have to break the overgrown beaks and claws in order to progress in life.
“This is the right time for us to act and reform the system so that we will continue to be useful to the society and the nation as a whole,” he said.
Assistant Corps Marshal, Ann Oladayo, Zonal Commanding Officer covering Kwara, Ekiti and Kogi, said that there was need to go back to the basis of the corps which is professionalism and integrity.
“We need to reassess our operation in FRSC and I must say that you all must take it very seriously. It is important to jot down the directives.
“We must showcase who we are on the road, showcase our professionalism and let people know that we are officers and men of integrity.
“We must attend to motorists with respect and be conscious of what we do while checking drivers on the road and do the needful in order to redeem the image of FRSC,” he said.
Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, represented by Corps Commander, Adetunji Oki, said that the gathering was a deliberate moment for reflection, correction and rededication to duty.
“The deployment of Senior Officers to your commands is a deliberate, strategic and urgent intervention arising from recent operational reports that reveal trends we cannot and will not ignore.
The Corps Marshal said that the developments demanded immediate leadership presence, guidance and corrective action to protect the integrity of the service.
“Over the past months, we have observed a disturbing decline in discipline, professionalism and effective command and control in most field commands.
“These lapses have manifested as misconduct, unethical practices, abuse of authority, extortion, reckless enforcement behaviours and other actions that contradict everything this uniform represents and that steadily erode public trust in the Corps.
“Let me state clearly and without ambiguity that such behavior is unacceptable. They violate our regulations, betray our training, contradict our core values and endanger the credibility and reputation of the Corps,” he said.
Mohammed stressed that every time a road user loses confidence in the corps, their mandate becomes harder to achieve.
He further said that every act of unprofessional conduct damages the image of thousands of disciplined staff and every abuse of authority weakens the trust built over decades.
“We must remind ourselves that the Corps was not created merely to enforce traffic laws. We were established to save lives and serve the public with integrity.
“Our authority flows directly from public trust and once that trust is compromised, our effectiveness is compromised. This is why the present exercise is a corrective measure for reorientation, reinforcement and renewal,” he said.
