The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has advised political parties preparing for campaigns ahead of the 2023 general elections to shun reckless driving during electioneering to avoid casualties.
Mr Peter Kibo, the Zonal Commanding Officer in charge of Ogun and Lagos State, gave the advice on Tuesday during the Third Quarter 2022 Zonal Retreat and Operators Meeting, held at the zonal headquarters in Ojodu-Berger, Lagos.
The retreat had the theme: “Promotion of Strategic Partnership for innovative Road Safety Intervention in Lagos and Ogun”.
Kibo while addressing newsmen urged the party leaders and candidates across the states to advise their drivers who would be on convoys during electioneering to drive safely.
According to him, politicians have their own ways of driving in which the commission has not relent in educating them on safe driving.
“Crashes do occur during campaigns due to reckless driving of some party drivers, that is why we are reminding, enlightening and educating them to shun attitude of recklessness during electioneering.
“The campaigns you are doing, it is our prayers that you do it safely so that you will be able to participate, vote or be voted for during the elections.
“But when you are driving dangerously, injuring, killing and maiming the electorate or your own candidates you can see that it does not speak well.
“My advice is that you do the campaigns gently by obeying traffic rules and regulations so that your electorate and candidates can be able to vote and be voted for respectively,” he said.
Kibo said that the retreat was meant to tackle the challenges that usually cropped in during ember months.
The zonal commander said that the retreat would allow the FRSC to resolve some of the challenges faced during the peak periods of higher vehicular movements along various corridors especially the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
Mr Ayobami Omiyale, a retired Assistant Corps Marshal, who was the resource person said, “there are more traffic challenges nowadays compared with some years back.”
Omiyale said that number of vehicles plying various routes across the country had increased tremendously without an increase in the number of roads.
According to him, limited roads available to the increase in the number of vehicles is one of the major challenges and causes of crashes on the highways.
“The reasons we are here today is to provide effective solutions to the traffic challenges on the roads, especially during the ember months.
“My advice to the drivers is to follow the normal traffic rules and regulations, avoid overloading, speeding and intake of substance before driving,” he said.
Mr Segun Ogungbemide, the Sector Commander, Lagos State, in his remarks said that the FRSC had been having robust collaborations with some stakeholders to ensure safety on the roads.
Ogungbemide added that partnership with other organisations and stakeholders together with effective enlightenment to motorists had helped and gone a long way in curbing crashes in the state.
“Nowadays we have become more technical in our operations and involve other stakeholders like Special Marshal and others to bring sanity on the road.
“I am sure with various policies put in place and the effective performances of our personnel, I know we will resolve the challenges and ensure crash-free during this 2022 ember months period,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that no fewer than 100 FRSC personnel participated in the retreat. nan.
