Tony Okafor, Awka
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), has declared roads in Anambra State as deathtraps, saying the state occupied 15th position on the list of bad roads in the country.
The FRSC Sector Commander, Anambra, Mr Adeoye Irelewuyi, stated this during the flag off of the 2022 Ember Months Safety Campaign, organised in Awka; themed – “Speeding , Overloading and Unsafe Tyres to Arrive Alive”.
Irelewuyi said: ” The task of road traffic and safety management is a daunting challenge to both the government and the citizens.
“In Nigeria, data from the National Bureau of statistics shows that Anambra roads occupy 15th position on the list of death trap roads in Nigeria. We should not allow the trend to continue.
“This campaign is however, apt to cover casualty factors which include speeding, overloading, use of unsafe tyres, drunk driving, nonuse of seat belt and so on.
“The Corps is stepping up public enlightenment in motor parks, Churches, Mosque and the media. The Corps has also trained about 1,500 neighbourhood rescue team across the state to assist in rescue efforts.
“We urge the residents and road users to cooperate with FRSC, especially at this Ember months period to reduce the rate of fatalities on our roads,” Irelewuyi said.
He appreciated the Special Marshals for the ongoing construction of the road side clinic project at Nteje, on the Awka-Onitsha Expressway, saying, it would reduce response time to crashes around the axis.
Also speaking, the Zonal Commanding Officer, Benin Headquarters, Mr Chukwuma Njoku, urged drivers to be focused, concentrated while driving, ensure their vehicles were in good condition and obey traffic laws.
Njoku said, “High travel rate, overloading speeding and drunk driving are some the characteristics of the Ember month period.
“Speeding is a critical offence in FRSC because it poses serious challenge to other road user. We are setting up 24 hours traffic surveillance on the highways to ensure drivers comply with the maximum speed limit,” he said.
In his Remarks, the state governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo said his administration recognised the terrible situation of the roads in the state and had declared a state of emergency on them
.
Soludo who was represented by Mrs Patricia Igwebuike, state’s Commissioner for Transportation, said about 10,000 kilometer road project had been flagged off to boost infrastructure development in the state.
Igwebuike said, “This administration values the lives of residents and has decided to commence massive road project. The tragedies on our roads are avoidable, so we urge roads users to take responsibility for their lives by obeying traffic rules.
“The state government will continue to work with the FRSC to educate motorists on how to drive safely and ensure safety on our roads.”
