FRANK BOYEDE
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Corps Marshal of the Federal Road safety Commission, FRSC, Boboye Oyeyemi, has attributed the Corp’s ability to enforce traffic laws across the country, despite not carrying arms to adoption of civility and respect for human rights. He stated this while declaring open a two day capacity development programme organized for patrol officers from across the FRSC commands.
According to Oyeyemi, the commission, which was established 28 years ago, was built on core values of civility, which legitimizes its operations.
“As some observers have rightly stated,” he explained, “FRSC remains the only security agency in Nigeria that has been able to carry out the magnitude of enforcement it has done on the nation’s road without recourse to use of arms.”
He pointed out that people’s obedience to the FRSC has never been based on their fears of the arms, but a demonstration of their willingness to submit to the Corps based on their conviction about the rightness of its actions.
He stated further: “We have successfully sustained this value of civility for the 28 years that we have patrolled the nation’s highways, despite the pressures to bear arms in the aftermath of the militarization of the populace.
“We can therefore, not afford to take the huge trust that members of the public and government repose in us through our sustained civility lightly. We, therefore, need to build on the knowledge of civility among our patrol officers who lead patrol teams at this period when the nation is experiencing change mantra under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.”
The Corps Marshal observed that as a nation that has embraced democracy, there was the continuing need to build democratic values in its institutions, noting that staff, whose responsibilities have direct bearing on people’s human rights, must be enlightened to appreciate civility and the imperatives of observing human rights.
“FRSC as a people-centered organization will therefore, continue to uphold the virtues of civility in its enforcement of traffic rules and regulations,” he said. ,
The FRSC Boss urged the participants to utilize the opportunity of the training to add to their understanding of the values of civility in the enforcement of traffic rules and regulations under the civil democratic dispensation. He enjoins patrol teams to see themselves as worthy representatives of the FRSC by always observing the highest values of decorum, transparency, honesty and civility in their operational activities.
“You must, therefore, utilize this rare opportunity to share ideas with one another and interact closely while making quality contributions that could enhance your understanding of the subject for sustained positive image of the FRSC,” Oyeyemi stated.
The two day capacity development programme which attracted selected officers from across the FRSC commands has as its theme, “The Challenges of Civility and Enforcement of Traffic Rules,” on which the carefully selected Resource Persons would make various presentations.
