NIGERIA GOVERNMENT SHOULD INTENSIFY ROAD SAFETY

Accident Prevention and Rescue Initiative has called on the Federal and State Government in Nigeria to intensify road safety efforts to avert further killing of road users.

The Executive Director, Accident Prevention and Rescue Initiative, Prince Fidelis Nnadi made this statement in his Abuja Office in reaction to the recent killing of over fourty people in Lagos by a rampaging trailer truck that ran into vehicles held up by long traffic jam. "It is unfortunate that Government at all level cannot establish structures towards tackling the incidents of road traffic accident which is assuming the primary cause of death in Nigeria" Nnadi said.

We have advocated a collaborative and coordinated Road Safety activity between the Federal Road Safety Commission, States/FCT road traffic agencies, Civil Society Organizations and Non-Government Organizations. For an effective road safety activity, both agencies and organizations should be coordinated in their various efforts. Prince Fidelis Nnadi queried the role of various Unions and Associations in the Road Transport sub-sector if they cannot tame their drivers to ensure safety of their passengers and other class of road users at all times.

Reacting further, the Director of women affairs in Accident Prevention and Rescue Initiative, Justina Uzoka, called on women to use their position as mothers and wives to influence Drivers and transport operators to be safety conscious in their various assignments, either as drivers or transport owners. "We cannot blame Government any time people are killed by road traffic accident because we can avoid it if we are safety conscious. Mrs.Uzoka, a victim of road traffic accident was recently discharged from hospital in Abuja after undergoing surgical operation for multiple fracture of the bone on her left leg. She however appealed to both Federal and State/FCT government road safety agencies to enforce the regulation that bans wreckless and convicted drivers from driving, advocating the ban of Okada (Commercial Motorcyclists) from operating on highways.

It will be recalled that in recent times, road traffic accident has become rampant. Recently, a trailer truck belonging to one of the companies in Nigeria killed over seventy road side traders in Lokoja Kogi State, Madala in Niger State, and the multiple accident in Lagos, the daily accidents at Kugbo along Abuja - Keffi high way, Ile Ife in South West Nigeria, including many others reported or not reported. While these road traffic accidents occur, with its heavy human and material losses, no government official of the Federal or State Government is held accountable.

President Goodluck Jonathan, in his condolence message to the victims of the recent catastrophic road traffic accident that occured in Lagos appealed to Nigerians to be road safety conscious as some of these accidents can be prevented and avoided. He has however assured Nigerians that the accident is under investigation.

But some road safety observers has blamed the Federal Government of pampering the leadership of its road safety agency, Federal Road Safety Commission. Mr. Sunday Irua, a road safety expert based in Lagos blamed the Federal government for not reacting practically over the rampant road accidents occuring its roads, Federal Highways. According to Mr. Irua, most of these accidents occur on Federal Roads stressing that the roads are not monitored or policed by the government agency. He however applauded the Federal Road Safety commission for their promptness in rescuing accident victims and appealed to the Federal Government for increased funding for the commission to meet the challenges of road safety in Nigeria By Adugo Hope; Safety Guide Magazine.