[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Corps Marshal of the Federal Rod Safety Corps (FRSC), Dr Boboye Oyeyemi has condemned in strongest terms acts of violence being perpetrated against personnel of the FRSC on official duties and vandalism of road signs by miscreants who remove or deface them, saying such acts run contrary to the spirits of humanity and collective responsibility in road traffic management.
Dr Boboye stated this while declaring open a two week pre-hospital trauma life support training for FRSC Officers at the National Trauma Centre, National Hospital Abuja.
According to Bisi Kazeem, Head, Media Relations and Strategy, FRSC, the Corps Marshal said FRSC staff come out everyday well prepared to give succor to road users through effective traffic management, removal of obstructions and provision of first aid to causalities of road traffic crashes. He noted, however, that some recalcitrant drivers flagrantly disobey the traffic rules and regulations, undermine the stop signs by marshals and sometimes knock them down with some dying or sustaining life threatening injuries from the acts.
He warns that he would follow all due process to ensure that the perpetrators of the dastardly acts are brought to book and punished in line with the law of the land to serve as deterrence to others. The Corps Marshal also warned against acts of vandalism of traffic signs by some hoodlums either through defacing with posters or total removal of the signs, thereby denying drivers of the opportunity of being guided. This he said increases the rate of road traffic crashes at such places where vital information provided by such signs could have assisted the drivers in taking appropriate actions to avert crashes.
The FRSC Boss called for public support to avert negative practices against the FRSC personnel and destruction of road infrastructure in the collective efforts to restore sanity on our roads.
While welcoming the participant to the specialised Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support Training for FRSC Officers under the sponsorship of the Safe Corridor Project of the Federal Roads Development Programme of the World Bank, the Corps Marsha noted that the training was in continuation of the capacity building initiatives of the FRSC. He said the training was designed to expose the Patrolmen to the modern techniques of safe crash victims handling.
The Corps Marshal gave kudos to the World Bank for its support to the FRSC and the successes recorded through its Safe Corridor Project initiative over the years with fruitful outcomes ranging from rehabilitation of selected corridors to the provision of ambulances, patrol vehicles, motorbikes, tow trucks and other equipment such as alcoholisers and radar guns. “Very importantly, the World Bank funded programme has also improved capacity development of our staff through organised courses at local and international levels including the six months course offered to middle cadre officers at the FRSC Academy Udi in 2014,” he stated.
He disclosed that sixty officers of the Corps have been trained at the California Highway Patrol Academy, Sacramento, United States of America consisting of 30 Patrol bracket officers and 30 Management Staff. “Another 40 officers were trained in the Safe to Load Programme of transportation of Petroleum products at the APTH in France. On two occasions 5 Officers each have undergone training in Road Safety Audit and Accident Investigation in Birmingham, England,” he added.
The Corps Marshal further stated that the specialised training for 80 officers in two batches of 40 each for selected officers from the Safe Corridors was in continuation of the Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support Training for FRSC Officers which commenced in the National Trauma Centre of the National Hospital Abuja with 25 Officers and 75 Marshals in 2014. He gave assurances that FRSC Management remains committed to the initiative and is particularly making efforts to make rescue facilities readily available to road users through establishment of more zebra and equipping of the existing ones along the critical corridors.
In his welcome address, the Chief Medical Officers of the National Hospital, Dr Jaf Momoh, commended the leadership of the FRSC for its commitment to offering professional services to victims of road traffic crashes through provision of specialized training to rescue officers of the Corps. He equally commended the World Bank and the Road Sector Development Team of the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing for consistently supporting the training initiatives which would make the nation’s road travel less hazardous.
He assured that the Management of the National Hospital will continue to render necessary support and provide adequate facilities and expertise to make the training programmme a full success.
The first Batch of the pre-hospital trauma life support training for FRSC officers had 40 participants who are officers drawn from selected commands across the country for two weeks intensive training at the Trauma Centre of the Hospital Abuja.
