Travelling along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Wednesday 8th of June 2016, Motoring World Editor, Femi Owoeye, stumbled on the personnel of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Ogere Unit, Ogun State Zonal Command, mixing gravel with cement and patching up pot holes dotting Ishara section of the Expressway.
He stopped and had a chat with the team headed by Olaluwoye Akinwumi, Head of Operations, FRSC, Ogere Unit, on why they decided to embark on an assignment that personnel of another Federal government agency are being paid to do.
Excerpts
MOTORING WORLD: Why are you doing this?
FRSC’s HOO: It’s part of our home grown initiative to reduce RTC (Road traffic crash) on this road.These minor potholes do cause road traffic crash, hence the initiative of the command to do the little, little patches so as to reduce crashes on the road.
MOTORING WORLD: Was this initiative from Abuja or just from your command?
FRSC’s HOO: It is from this command to reduce RTC.
MOTORING WORLD: But why? Are you going to get paid extra for the extra assignment?
FRSC’s HOO: No. No. This is not about money, but about what little assistance we can render to our nation, Nigeria. Look, these potholes have caused a lot of road crashes.
And we are the ones doing the rescue operations. So why should keep watching people dying, just concentrate on rescuing, when we can do something as little as this to reduce the problem?
After all it is our responsibility to do whatever we think we can do to reduce road crash, which is why we are embarking on this.
MOTORING WORLD: Is this going to be a continuous assignment then?
FRSC’s HOO: We will do this whenever and wherever it is necessary. Mind you, this is not a proper road construction or maintenance. It is just a temporary measure that we feel the need to put in place to safe lives.
MOTORING WORLD: How do you finance this initiative?
FRSC’s HOO: Through FRSC stakeholders
