NAN-H-35
Campaign
Abakaliki, March 1, 2018 (NAN) The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) has pledged to partner with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Ebonyi in carrying out road safety awareness campaigns.
The CDHR Chairman in Ebonyi, Mr Emeka Anosike, made the pledge when the executive of the group visited the Sector Commandant of the Corps, Mrs Stella Uchegbu, in Abakaliki on Thursday.
Anosike said that the visit was to explore ways of partnership between the group and the corps to promote road safety consciousness in the state.
According to him, CDHR is a civil society organisation committed to promoting, protecting and defending the fundamental rights of citizens of the country from any form of abuse.
He said that the partnership would enable the group to educate, enlighten and sensitise road users, especially commercial motorists on road safety laws, how to adhere to these laws as well as enforce their rights if violated.
The chairman said that the rights group would also assist Corps marshals to enforce their fundamental rights when violated by road users.
He applauded the corps for ensuring reduction of road crashes in Ebonyi, especially during the Christmas and New Year celebrations through its patrol and surveillance.
“We are here first to commend the corps for its efforts in ensuring safe roads in Ebonyi and for its respect to rights of the citizens who use the roads.
“We are also here to explore possible ways our group can partner with the corps in ensuring that road users are properly educated and sensitised on various road signs and how to enforce their rights when unlawfully infringed on.
“Respect for road signs and traffic rules to a very large extent depend on the level of awareness and education available to the average road user.
“Since ignorance is no excuse for breaking the law, we think that if we partner the corps on these critical areas, it will reduce the rate of traffic offenders.
“Again, we can come to the legal rescue of corps marshals on duty whose rights have been violated by road users reported to us,” Anosike said.
He appealed to the Corps to consider members of the CDHR for inclusion into the Special Marshal component of the FRSC.
He decried the situation where a person who applied for driving licence renewal would have to wait for months before getting the licence, and urged the Corps to improve on the process.
Responding, Uchegbu appreciated the group and assured that the corps would partner and collaborate with it to achieve its mandate of securing Nigerian roads from road crashes.
She said that road crashes leading to fatality in the state had been drastically reduced through enhanced road safety campaigns.
The sector commander said that men and officers of the corps had always discharged their duties in accordance with the law and act establishing the FRSC.
She urged road users to obey traffic rules, imbibe road safety consciousness and ensure that they drive with valid driving licence.
The corps, she added, had regularly carried out sensitisation campaigns in motor parks to sensitise and educate officials and members of the Nigeria Union of Road Transport Workers on road safety measures.
“Road Safety is everyone’s business because we all make use of the road one way or the other.
“We appreciate your request for partnership with the Corps in enhancing road safety awareness in Ebonyi because the synergy will promote and improve free road crashes in the state.
“I think that when every road user becomes attuned to the traffic rules and respects these rules we will begin to have our roads free from road crashes and free from illegal road users.
“We will henceforth extend our invitation to your group to come and lecture our officers and men during our periodic lectures and sensitisation,” she added. (NAN)
ODO/OFN/MNA
Edited by Felix Nwadioha/Maureen Atuonwu