Naija FRSC AND YOU

The Federal Road Safety Corps(FRSC) was created in February 1988 through Decree No.45 and amended by Decree No. 35 of 1992.This was after Nigeria came second after Ethiopia as the most Road Traffic Accident prone(RTA) nations in the world.It was saddled with the responsibility of preventing or minimising accidents on the highways,clearing obstructions on the highways,determining and enforcing speed limits,conducting researches into causes of motor accidents and methods of preventing them and putting into use the result of such researches etc etc. If the Commission is preforming these statutory responsibilities to satisfactorily is a moot point. I believe the raison detre for setting up the outfit which is mainly to stem the tide of needless carnage occasioned by road accidents on our highways has been derailed. Alas, the outfit seems to have lost track of this core objective instead focussing on the ridiculous and the downright mundane. It has now become the proverbial herbalist leaving the leprous part to treat the common ringworm.Pray, how can one explain the concentration of personnel within the metropolis just to apprehend drivers that do not use seatbelts while lives are being lost on the inter state roads. I believe if the Commission has a research department statistics would show that the number of people dying within our city limits is negligible compared with those travelling on journeys.How many people have been thrown out of their vehicles because they did not use their seatbelts within our cities. The commission should come up with the numbers if they have the statistics.The constant go-slow in our cities would not make for such speed as to throw a driver pit of his windscreen.I make bold to say using seatbelts within the town or city is cosmetic to say the least. It smacks of laziness see FRSC Officers manning roadblocks right in front of their office premises.One would think the highway would be a netter place to deploy limited personnel. The FRSC also operates like the customs, Federal Inland Revenue Service etc by making money for the government(and themselves in the process).You pay N2000 for failure to put on your seatbelt for example. The various fines should be reviewed downwards they are exorbitant and punitive. This is not the commission's brief. Its brief is to stop the carnage and deaths on our roads.Punishment should not be monetised.I have never seen the commission personnel use a speed gun. I sincerely doubt if most even know what a speed gun is not to talk of how to operate one. It is also painful to experience the pains one goes through in order to acquire or renew a drivers' license. The process is supposed to be online and seamless but the reality is anything but that. What should cost N6350 will cost you the positive side of N8500 quasi officially after much stress. Getting your image captured is a lesson in patience as the capture machine is always on perpetual recess.For the past 2 months I have been on the waiting list to be captured.Capturing one's image is a herculean task for the capturing machine it seems. The whole process of the FRSC needs to be overhauled. The personnel need to be reorientated as to the core objectives of the corps. All efforts should be geared towards minimising the deaths on our roads due to road accidents. On a final note the FRSC would do well to return to its core objectives as it was in its days of yore when the masses rose up to resist the proposed merger with the Nigeria Police Force during the Abacha regime.