Christmas: NEMA, FRSC caution motorists on reckless driving
By Mohammad Ibrahim, Kaduna.
As Nigerians travel across the country to celebrate Christmas and new year, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) have caution drivers against reckless driving.
According to NEMA, such campaigns have tremendously contributed to reduction of road accidents during Christmas and New Year seasons.
NEMA’s North-West Zonal Coordinator, Musa Illalah flagged off the on-the-road campaign along Kaduna-Abuja expressway yesterday, in Kaduna.
He said that the campaign has become an annual event we organize at this time of the year to sensitize drivers on safe driving.
“We are always supporting the Federal Road Safety Commission whose mandate is to oversee the roads and the road users. We think we have an obligation as the agency charged with the responsibility of managing disasters to support any safety campaign.
“These campaigns have tremendously contributed to reduction in road crashes during the yuletide seasons on our highways. Specifically, these campaigns and the support NEMA is rendering is targeting and extended to all the four entry points to Kaduna.
“That is the Kaduna-Abuja highway, Kaduna-Kachia highway, Kaduna-Zaria highway and the Kaduna-Birnin highway.
“We intend to be on these roads between now and the next seven days to provide the needed support to FRSC so that together we can minimize the rates of accidents on our roads.
“It is a known fact that we witness more loss of lives on road accidents in this country than in any other emergency we have. And that is why the FRSC has a very big mandate to further watch the extensive road networks we have in this country.
“All the government agencies, individuals and private bodies in this country should support the FRSC to achieve this mandate because they cannot do it alone,” he said.
Unit Commander of FRSC Kakau in Kaduna, Ademola Obafemi, called on drivers to avoid over speeding, drinking and overloading.
He said that such acts exacerbate road crashes as he commended NEMA for always supporting them in the campaign, saying that their support and partnership has always yielded positive results.
