By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan.
Oyo State Director of National Orientation Agency, NOA, Mrs Dolapo Dosunmu on Tuesday said over 50% of global road mishaps are recorded in Nigeria.
Mrs Dosunmu stated this in Ibadan while speaking at an awareness and sensitization campaign on road safety in the ember months and beyond organised by the agency attended by government Agencies, community associations and allied Civil Society Groups.
The NOA Director stated that the United Nations, UN has declared 2011 to 2020 as a decade of Action on Road Safety to save more lives and walk its talk on the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals.
“We are our own demon. Nigeria alone, according to available statistics, contributes 50% of 1.3million road accidents across the globe. Whereas other developed countries are inching towards a zero-accident rate in the ember months, we seem to be fixated on one spot. We just have to change.”
According Mrs Dosunmu, the awareness and sensitization campaign on road safety “is planned to be inclusive for optimal success which it has recorded,”saying,there “is nothing wrong with ember months but only the attitudes of the road users who are always in a tearing rush during the seasons”.
“It is left to us to prevent road accidents in this crucial period and shun those negative attitudes such as drunkenness, waywardness, drug addiction, carelessness, dereliction, insouciance and other insidious acts that may cut down our lives in their prime.”
Declaring that the campaign is very crucial to Nigerians as over 50% of global road mishaps are recorded in Nigeria, Mrs Dosumun advocated for caution and positive attitude to prevent unwarranted accidents in this special period.
She advised motorists to avoid stress and ensure they only drive when in stable health condition as well as ensure that their vehicles and other means of transportation are in good stead.
“It takes a little effort to prevent accident from happening than to rescue victims in an emergency or to even imagine the rigorous pains one suffers as a victim, if we are lucky to even survive,” the NOA State Director said.
Speaking, the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC unit Commander, Mr John Okosun said road accident claims more lives than AIDS, despite that, people are afraid of HIV induced death.
Mr John Okosun, urged commercial drivers in the country not to be carried away by the profits they will make by speeding to their destinations but should consider the fact that only who arrive safely and live to enjoy the season gain more.
In his remark, Oyo State PRO of National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, Comrade Taiwo Akinsanya advised that “only drivers who live to drive again are super drivers”.
The awareness and sensitization campaign took off from Oje Market to Mapo Hill where, each of the leaders of the committee that collaborated in the programme in quick succession take time to educate people on safety tips and other precautions to eschew accidents on our roads.
During the awareness and sensitization campaign attended by the FRSC, Nigerian police, Nigerian Army, Immigration, NDLEA, NCWS, VIO, NURTW, NULGE, market and community associations representatives, message pamphlets and other ICT materials warning against road accidents and other hazards associated with insouciant attitudes of the people especially during the yuletide season were freely distributed.
