Adedayo Akinwale
Worried that the rate of road crashes in the country shows no sign of abating, the Junior Chambers International (JCI) and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) have taken sensitisation campaign on road safety to Jabi Park in Abuja, where eye test and blood group test were carried out on drivers.
The 2017 President, JCI, Abuja Unity, Ms. Joyce Lawrence, stated that the organisation was partnering with the FRSC in order to ensure safer road for Nigerians and also to reduce road crashes to the bearest minimum.
She noted: “The good thing is that the road crashes that occur on our roads can be prevented. We feel that we should intervene because of our brothers, our sisters, the youth of this generation, children are affected, everybody is affected. We trust our lives in the hands of these drivers. We feel they are the first people we should reach out to and talk to them on the need to ensure that our roads are accident free.”
The Team Leader for the ‘You and the Road Project’, Ms. Precious Ebere, said, JCI came up with the initiative to create awareness to the drivers and commuters on importance of safe driving on highway, and the dire need to reduce the number of road crashes on the road.
Ebere added that, “we discovered that lot of accidents have always been occurring, and reoccurring on our roads. We saw that it is wise for us to tackle the problem. We came up with the concept of You and the Road awareness campaign where we involved the drivers and the commuters on best practices to be done on the road, how the road can be properly utilised to avoid road accident, and how to know simple road signs. Some of these drivers think they know it but they don’t, that was why we brought out this campaign to sensitise them on basic road signs and how to use the road.”
She revealed that eye test, and blood group test would be carried out on the drivers.
On her part, the Public Enlightenment Officer, FRSC FCT Sector Command, ACC. Ngozi Imoroa insisted that FRSC sensitisation campaign was being carried out on daily basis, and not only in the festive period alone.
She commended JCI for partnering with FRSC in sensitising all road users on road safety.
“For some years now we have lost a good number of the youths to road crashes. We are glad that the youths are getting aware of road safety and even joining in the campaign to ensure that we are not going to lose any more youth. That is what we are targeting, a situation where we are going to have minimal crashes on our roads. That is why we are partnering with them today and it is going to be a continuous process,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Secretary of Mini Bus Long Journey Branch lll (Jabi park), Mr. Emeka Okoye, said JCI partnering with the FRSC in sensitising the drivers on road safety was a welcome development, stressing that most road accidents were caused by the drivers who are not well trained.
He revealed; “We do sensitise our drivers unit by unit and branch by branch to educate our drivers. Notwithstanding, what JCI and road safety are doing is encouraging, it will enlighten us more.”
Okoye emphasised that unit leaders at the park checkmate the drivers to ensure that the drivers don’t drink and drive, and that any driver caught would be suspended indefinitely.
